Being a Grandparent Support, known as B.A.G.S., will host the Joyful Noise Black & White Gospel Gala Extravaganza next Saturday, September 26, at 3 p.m. at Vision Church RDU, located at 5808 Departure Drive in Raleigh. The event doubles as both a celebration and a fundraiser for grandparents who have stepped in to raise their grandchildren.
The gala will feature national gospel recording artist Kim Person alongside choirs, mimes and quartets, according to ABC11. Beyond the performances, the evening is designed to give attendees a chance to learn about B.A.G.S. and the families the organization serves. Every ticket and sponsorship purchased directly supports B.A.G.S. programs, including emergency starter kits, family mediation, counseling and faith-based encouragement, per the organization's event page.
Guests are encouraged to dress in black and white for the occasion, and tickets are already on sale. A single seat includes dinner and the full evening program, while table sponsorships are also available, the organization's event listing notes. B.A.G.S. describes itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to empowering grandparents who find themselves raising grandchildren.
What the Starter Kits Actually Contain
Much of the money raised goes toward tangible relief for families in crisis. Emergency starter kits for school-age children include clothing, hygiene essentials, school supplies and a grocery gift card, the group's site states. For babies and toddlers, kits are stocked with clothing, hygiene items, diapers, bottles and sippy cups, plus a grocery gift card.
Those kits are meant to soften the sudden financial shock many grandparents face when a grandchild moves in with little or no notice. B.A.G.S. helps families navigate those transitions by providing resources and support, the organization has said, according to the same ABC11 report.
A Statewide Need Behind the Local Effort
The Raleigh gala speaks to a challenge playing out across North Carolina. More than 87,000 grandparents are raising their grandchildren statewide, according to American Community Survey data cited by Senior Services. Separately, GrandFacts NC reported that 237,976 North Carolina children were living in grandparent- or other relative-headed households in 2021, per the N.C. Cooperative Extension in Cleveland County.
Nationally, Generations United reports that over 2.4 million children live in grandfamilies or kinship families, while Senior Services cites federal Administration for Community Living figures putting the number of children raised by older family members above 2.7 million. Children's Home Society of North Carolina has also pointed to a strained foster care system, noting nearly 11,000 children in care statewide against only about 5,400 foster homes — a gap that pushes more relatives, including grandparents, into caregiving roles.
Other Support Networks Across the State
B.A.G.S. is not the only organization trying to fill that gap. Senior Services runs a monthly support group for adults 55 and older in Forsyth County who are raising minor relatives, giving participants a chance to discuss both the challenges and joys of kinship care with peers and hear from experts about available resources. In Cleveland County, the Broad River support group meets monthly from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the N.C. Cooperative Extension Center in Shelby, offering families emotional support and a forum to talk through their successes and struggles.
Children's Home Society of North Carolina's Kinship Navigation program provides information, training courses, referral services and support groups at no cost to participating families. FosteringNC also maintains a collection of courses and resources aimed at kinship caregivers, including information on legal options. State officials note that North Carolina's Kinship Foster Care and Guardianship Assistance Program may offer financial assistance and Medicaid for youth determined to be in a permanent family, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
For families in the Raleigh area, the Joyful Noise gala offers a more immediate, local way to plug into that broader safety net — one gospel song, one starter kit, and one grandparent at a time.
