Love and Hope for the Future
Some of the most underserved members of the community are those who live as part of the system, the children who wait hopefully to find a place that they can truly call home. These children in foster care need to know that they are not forgotten, that their struggles are on the hearts and minds of the people around them, and that they are loved. It was in hopes of offering that reminder, providing them with the support they need, and giving them a sense of empowerment that Kim Bigler created James Storehouse in 2011, operating from the trunk of her car. Originally begun in California, the organization became known as James Samaritan when it relocated to the North Shore area. “We provide physical and relationship support from the crib through college for children, foster families, and transitional youth through the creation of partnerships with other organizations,” explains Executive Director Lisa Murphy. “We serve an invisible and underserved population. Those in foster care lack the relationships, support, and stability that many of us take for granted. They feel alone, but James Samaritan assures them that they are not. If there is a need, James Samaritan doesn’t say ‘No.’ Instead, we ask ‘How?’. In doing so, we are able to either direct individuals to the agencies or organizations that meet those needs or reach out to a network of volunteers that we refer to as James Samaritans to fulfill the requests.”
