Every fall, the UNMC student-led organization Fostering the Future sponsors a project to create blankets for foster children, women and children at shelters, refugee families, children undergoing long-term medical treatments, and adults undergoing chemotherapy. This year, the UNMC ID Specialty Care Clinic decided to get into the holiday spirit and join the fun by cutting and tying fleece blankets for donation to youth in foster care with help from Project Everlast, Project Harmony, Partnership 4 Kids, and the Omaha Police Department. The SCC Client Services Team tied the blankets (pictured right).
Fostering the Future is a student-led, interprofessional service-learning initiative dedicated to promoting resources and solutions to address the health challenges at-risk youth face in the Omaha metropolitan area. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for at-risk youth and the overall health of our community by providing a continuum of resources, education, leadership opportunities and impactful personal experience to create healthy, positive, sustainable futures for children.
The annual blanket project is just one of several ways to get involved. The group also holds educational health workshops with individuals in foster care with mentorship opportunities, panel discussions and programs to educate health professionals on foster care, and a youth health fair covering topics like exercise, nutrition, healthy relationships, CPR and first aid, substance abuse, and personal and professional development.
Thank you, SCC, for donating your time to this great project!
If you are interested in learning more about Fostering the Future or would like to get involved, contact the Office of Community Engagement at the following link.