WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — This month, for National Foster Care Awareness Month, I’m Shining A Light on a nonprofit that’s changing the way foster kids start their journey here in Florida. It’s called The Hands and Feet, and they’ve earned the nickname “the DoorDash" of foster care, a description that couldn’t be more accurate.
When children enter the foster care system, it often happens suddenly, sometimes with only the clothes on their backs. Across Palm Beach County, Broward, and the Treasure Coast, The Hands and Feet steps in fast, delivering thoughtfully assembled essentials like clothing, diapers, toys, and even car seats directly to foster and kinship families within 48 hours.
The organization launched in 2021, founded by Bailey Hughes, a former foster mom and now adoptive mom of four, after she realized just how big the gap was in resources. In just five years, they’ve served nearly 13,000 children.
Volunteers hand-pick items to fulfill requests, get ready for deliveries that often carry deeply human stories: grandparents stepping in overnight, single parents fighting to keep their kids, foster families opening their homes without warning. And now, requests for help are up 160%, with car seats and children’s clothing (sizes XS-XL) being the most urgent needs.
The Hands and Feet is asking the community to get involved by hosting drives, shopping their Amazon Wishlists, volunteering, or donating directly at thehandsandfeet.org.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
What do you want me to Shine A Light on? What are you most proud of where you live? Email me at tawalker@wptv.com.
