BY REBECCA LaMANNA

In April of 2025, a one-year-old boy who had been placed in foster care after being removed from his mother’s care was united with his biological father, who did not even know that his son existed. When the social worker identified who the father was and reached out, the father was ecstatic. The problem was, the father lived out of state and lacked the resources to travel to North Carolina.

The Lonely Children’s Fund made it possible for the agency to make arrangements to travel with the child to his father’s home over 530 miles away in Indiana, and to provide essential items such as a car seat, diapers, and clothing. In turn, this allowed the father to focus on what mattered most: bonding with his son.

Since moving to his father’s home, the child is truly thriving and has built a bond with his father, step-mother, and half-sibling. Without the Lonely Children’s Fund, this would not have been possible. Every donation to the Lonely Children’s Fund helps children and families like this one, who need support to
reach a sense of normalcy and stability.

There’s still time to donate to the Lonely Children’s Fund and make a difference in the lives of the children in foster care in Iredell County. The Lonely Children’s Fund goal for the 2025-2026 holiday season is $30,000. We are hopeful that the community will overflow this fund with their donations, as these children deserve the very best. Every contribution, no matter the size, gives a young person in foster care the support they need to thrive.

HOW TO GIVE

Please send checks and money orders payable to:
Lonely Children’s Fund
Attention: Iredell County DSS
549 Eastside Drive
Statesville, NC 28625

Rebecca LaManna is a Foster Home Licensing Social Worker for the Iredell County Department of Social Services.