In a collaborative effort aiming to better the lives of foster youth in Wake County, influential Black fraternities and sororities known as the Divine Nine are being invited to offer guidance and support to these young individuals, a move that extends the fraternities' and sororities' long-held tradition of mentorship and community service to a sector of society in urgent need of such foundational pillars, reports Wake County's news announcement.
In efforts to address the disparity between the number of foster children and available homes, the local chapters of the Divine Nine are stepping up, though the recent “Step in the Gap for Foster Youth” event was more than just a rallying cry; it was an education and an invocation towards action where members were shown how they could significantly imprint on the lives of foster children by mentoring, volunteering, and perhaps, stepping into the role of foster parents, this initiative shines a light on the increasing number of children in desperate need of stable homes, a challenge the community is now confronting head-on.
The event conveyed that, while the Divine Nine organizations are specific in their history and membership, making a difference in a foster child's life doesn't necessitate affiliation with these groups; rather, it's about a willingness to serve and the heart to make a difference, expressed Safiyah Jackson from the Wake County Board of Commissioners. "Organizations like those among the Divine Nine have long been pillars of service and leadership in our community," Jackson told Wake County's news. "Their commitment to lifting others mirrors the care and stability our children in foster care need most.”
With over 500 children and teens in foster care and only 72 homes available in Wake County, the situation paints a stark reality; it's not just about numbers, it's about real lives in flux, lives that could be steadied by the adults around them if they choose to step up and extend their arms to support these vulnerable young ones, Wake County is tackling this community issue with integrative strategies, inviting not only the Divine Nine but also all who are ready to nurture a child to join this mission, fostering may seem daunting, but as Wake County implies, the real prerequisite is a genuine concern for youth welfare and a commitment to be there for them.
For those interested in learning more about how they could be the change in a young person's life, they are urged to register for an upcoming session.
