Bananas Foster Inc

Potassium care baskets - because we only celebrate one family/individual per game, we know there are thousands of families we can't share their stories. It's commonly referred that 50% of foster parents will quit after their first year due to a lack of support. With the potassium care basket program, we want to support everyone in the foster care community. If we know there is a family in need, we want to help support them in their journey, so we send them a care basket. In 2024, we sent 75 potassium care baskets to support those in the foster care community. These baskets were personalized to the needs of the family. For example, a family that just welcomed a teenager into their home and needs some support - they would get a basket that has essential items for the teen but also crafts, games, and activities that are age appropriate and help make the transition of a new home more bearable. The potassium care baskets also go to newly licensed foster families, to provide support right from the start of their journey. Bananas foster works directly with licensing agencies to send baskets to families when they get licensed as a welcome to the community that makes a difference. Our long-term goal for this program is to be the first call/email/letter when families need something in their foster care journey. Many families will say no to a child because of the lack of support or need for specific items, we want this program to eliminate any no, and give families the confidence to say yes to a child in need because bananas foster will be there to support them. We hope that in the future every foster/bio/kinship family that comes into contact with bananas foster will be given a potassium care basket to feel supported.

Community events - bananas foster wants to support the local foster care community in savannah by developing events with other organization. In 2024, the chatham county family & juvenile court system hosted a field day for children involved in foster care & juvenile court. Bananas foster sponsored the lunch for the event and hosted the event at daffin park, savannah georgia. Together, the organizations brought youth from across the county to enjoy the summer sun, play games, and interact with one another. Our long-term goal is to host additional events that support the foster care community throughout chatham county, georgia.