By Caroline Freese
In February, Weekend Miracles Virginia hosted a fun day of bowling that was full of excitement, friendly competition, and connection! The Weekend Miracles program provides a new way to connect potential adoptive families and mentors with older kids and teens in foster care in Virginia. Through these interactive Meet the Kids events, kids and families get to know each other in a safe and fun environment. The program was first introduced in Virginia in late October 2024, when the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) invited Kidsave to collaborate, bringing together resources to serve older kids in foster care across Central and Northern Virginia.
Over the last year, Weekend Miracles Virginia has flourished, growing from serving three kids to now supporting 13 older kids in foster care on their path toward a stable support system.
Alyssa Bickford reflected on her first event since stepping into her new role as Weekend Miracles Virginia Program Manager, sharing that she loved meeting the kids and families and beginning the process of getting to know each of them. “This is what our hard work is all about! It was amazing to see so many people showing up to support the kids in our program.”
Our work would not be possible without the wonderful, committed families who spend time with the kids and participate in events every month. One of these dedicated families, Joe and Shannon, began as volunteers when the program first launched in Virginia and have since become a host family. Reflecting on their early involvement, they described volunteering as “training wheels” for getting involved in the foster care system. When they made the decision to become a host family, they shared that their favorite part of participating in events was watching the kids open up and seeing their faces light up when they saw someone they hadn’t in a while.
Our team was also excited to welcome new volunteers, Belinda and Mackey. Belinda and Mackey left saying they were “looking forward to coming more” and now understand how they “can help in different ways” at these events!
Most importantly, the kids had a really fun time bowling, saying it was one of their favorite events thus far. Thank you so much to Bowlero Richmond for hosting us and creating such a welcoming environment where our kids and families could have fun and build lasting connections together!
Weekend Miracles Virginia
There are many amazing kids looking for forever families in Virginia. Learn how you can help through the Weekend Miracles program.
