First Lady Glenna Bevin uses foundation to fund foster youth graduation parties

FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 7, 2017) – First Lady Glenna Bevin reached out to Kentucky’s nine Department for Community Based Services (DCBS) regions to help fund graduation parties and graduation gifts for foster youth graduating high school.

“Graduating high school is a major accomplishment, and our foster youth should be proud of their achievement,” said Mrs. Bevin.  “A graduation party is a rite of passage for most high school students, and I want to make sure these students are able to celebrate their success.”

Mrs. Bevin’s foundation, #WeAreKY, gave funds to seven of the nine regions. Each of those regions requested dollar amounts to help fund the graduation party and the graduation gifts. 

“We here in the Northeastern Region were thrilled to receive a check on behalf of the First Lady and #WeAreKY”, said Tonya Bailey, Independent Living Coordinator. “The money we received will go into the youth fund in our region to purchase graduation gift cards for our high school seniors in OOHC. It is something we have long tried to provide, but were nervous about the future of the gifts because of depleted funds. This gift was right on time! Thank you, First Lady Bevin for keeping this a reality for our Northeastern OOHC Seniors!”

“It’s such a great pleasure for the First Lady to acknowledge the Two Rivers foster youth who graduated by providing funding to celebrate this milestone of achievement in their lives”, said Sheila Butler, MSW Independent Living Coordinator. “It is not always possible for us to honor our youth in their accomplishments, but through the noble generosity of the First Lady of Kentucky and her foundation #WeAreKY, we are proud to celebrate our first graduation luncheon by honoring the foster youth in the Two Rivers area.”