MADISON, Ala. — A gift that keeps on giving!
Lee Marshall, Founder & CEO of the Kids to Love Foundation in Madison says, "These kids are personal to me because foster care is personal to me. I was born into foster care."
This isn't just an effort or a mission, it truly is a calling. Marshall explains, "I was adopted at the age of two, that my adoptive family gave me opportunities that I would have never had. I was the first one in my family to graduate college. "
Marshall explains that sometimes this job may come with great responsibility, but "These are a lot of kids, but these are my kids." She also says, we've awarded over 950 college scholarships since 2004."
In addition, many children age out of foster care, which is why the organization created KTECH, which is Kids to Love's aging out solution. Marshall says, "They end up instantly homeless. The statistic I shared earlier on the tour was between 75 and 80% of members of the juvenile justice system or prison system or former foster children. So, we know foster care is a pipeline to prison."
So instead of being reactive, the program is heavily focused on education and being proactive.
Marshall says, "Let's solve the problem before it becomes a problem."
As a result, "KTECH was the solution that we found. We brought it here and developed it. And now we are training. We've had over 300 young people get certifications through KTECH, and that's 300 lives changed."