Recently, we launched an awareness campaign centered on one powerful truth: Hope is contagious.

Research shows that hope isn’t just a feeling, it’s a force. Higher levels of hope are linked to improved coping, well-being, and healthy behaviors. Among teens, it’s connected to self-esteem, a sense of purpose, and protection against depression and suicide. Hope is essential for resilience and it’s vital for healing.

Our annual HANDLE WITH CARE campaign has now begun, which is where we invite you to join us in providing immediate needs and direct services for people in our care when there are no other resources in our community.

When you give to our HANDLE WITH CARE campaign, you don’t just provide resources, you provide hope. And hope spreads. It ripples through families, into neighborhoods, and across entire communities.

Right now, you have an opportunity to spark that ripple effect.

If you’re able to join us, email courtenay.vandermolen@fcsource.org or visit our website to learn more: https://fcsource.org/support-us/handle-with-care-fund/

November is National Adoption Awareness Month. Tesi Klipsch, Marketing & Communication Manager for Family & Children Services and adoptive mom is celebrating all the ways adoption has made her life so full.

“Adopting 3 of our sons has been one of the most profound blessings of our lives. Getting to watch them grow and flourish into young men that would make their ancestors proud, and who make us proud on the daily, is a true gift. I still remember all the fears and anxieties we had about adoption before adopting and virtually none of them came to fruition. The hard moments were similar to the hard moments we face as parents of our biological children, too. The joys the same as well. Parenting is parenting, as it turns out, no matter how your babies come to you.

Having been foster and adoptive parents, my husband and I will tell you that if you have any interest at all, do it. The only regret I have is that we didn’t do it sooner.”

If you have questions about foster care or adoption, contact our team at fostercareinquiry@fcsource.org or visit our website to fill out our inquiry form: https://fcsource.org/inquiry-form/

Watch as CEO Diane Marquess talks about the ripple effect that cuts to programs like SNAP can have on foster children and the people who care for them. https://wwmt.com/news/state/snap-pause-foster-children-impact-michigan-families-kids-services-kalamazoo-benefits-government-shutdown-diane-marquess-wwmt

We have officially started our 2025 Holiday Giving program where we match donors like you with clients of Family & Children Services to deliver hope this holiday season!

If you are interested in sponsoring a foster child or family, or want to donate items or money that will go towards making this season bright, email tesi.klipsch@fcsource.org or visit our website to learn more and sign up. https://fcsource.org/support-us/holiday-giving-program/

Our Wellness and Engagement Committee invites you to take part in a frightfully good deed. This Halloween, roll up your sleeve and help save lives—it’s the kind of “spirit” we like to see!

Just one donation can save up to three lives, giving hope to patients in need. Together, we can make this Halloween a little less scary for those who depend on blood donations!

On Thursday, October 30, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., Family & Children Services will be hosting a blood drive at our Kalamazoo location. We would love for you to join us! Click here to sign up for a time that works best for you: https://bit.ly/47IcBQv