Like many good ideas, With Love started out of Allie Roth’s living room. Roth, a former fourth- and fifth-grade teacher, had discovered one of her students and her younger sister had been hopping from foster home to foster home and the siblings not only needed school supplies, but basic necessities like clothes and shoes. The sisters inspired Roth to found the nonprofit in 2014 as a way of bridging the gap between foster families and their surrounding communities.
In a typical month, With Love serves 79 foster kids. This includes deliveries of goods, including clothing — sizes newborn to youth 8 — shoes, bedding, cribs, toys, books, diapers, toiletries and more. But Roth says With Love has grown into more than just donated items. The nonprofit also hosts virtual and outdoor activities for the kids and foster-parenting classes.
“We have grown 20% in the pandemic,” she says, adding that in 2020, With Love had 2,900 touch points in the community. “Our foster parents have remained committed and have been such a solid foundation for many kids during this trying time.” With Love has a regular slate of volunteers who help clean, wash and sort the clothing and items and Roth says they could always use more hands. (Pro tip: Families can volunteer to clean and wash items from home.) The nonprofit’s website also has an up-to-date donation list. This month, With Love is collecting stocking stuffers and toys for the more than 600 foster kids it helps.
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