Filling kids up with hope

Imagine you have no place to call home, no belongings, no family. That is what the 428,000 children in foster care go through every day. However, thanks to some students here at Coastal Carolina, a child is going to filled with hope. Students in a “First Year Experience” course linked with an upper business management course offered by the Wall College of Business have been raising money for a certain cause. Kilton Anderson, an interdisciplinary studies major and quarterback for the Coastal Carolina football team, decided to team up with Fostering Hope and CCUpacking in hopes to give two children in foster care a duffel bag full of items that the child needs. Anderson went into more detail on the project. “Fostering Hope is a newer program that the management program is doing over in the Wall Building,” said Anderson. “It involves getting six freshman from the FYE classes and grouping them up with one of the upper level management courses. You get assigned two individuals that are within the ages of 12 and 15 and it is your goal to fundraise any amount of money that you can come up with for these two foster kids.” While Fostering Hope is a major part in the class when it comes to the learning objectives, Anderson says there is something more fulfilling than a grade with what he and his classmates are doing for two kids in need. “Being able to fundraise for two kids that are going through troubling times that they didn’t expect, it is really fulfilling,” said Anderson. “These kids didn’t ask to be put in these situations so to be able to help them out in their time of need is something to be proud of.” The group had a goal of a thousand dollars and raised nearly $620. While the group did fall short of their goal, Anderson was proud of the effort and knows that he and his fellow students were able to be of service to local child in need.

“What I was most proudest of was nobody really focused on the money aspect,” said Anderson. “We were more focused on getting these tangible goods and be bright-eyed on Christmas morning and it is something that they will look forward to.” Fostering hope is a local, non-profit organization located in Conway at 308 Elm Street.