Church Of Latter-Day Saints Gives Big Donation To Organization Supporting Foster Children

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- There are bins of school supplies, racks of clothes, shoes and toys. They are all items Foster Love Project gives to children who are transitioning to foster care.

"We want to do everything we can to give them any measure of joy," said Kelly Hughes, executive director of Foster Love Project in Dormont.

Hughes, who's also a foster parent, started Foster Love Project, when she recognized that kids who transition to foster care, sometimes with a moment's notice, often don't have the supplies they need.

Hughes told to KDKA's Lisa Washington, "Seeing the fear in their eyes of not knowing where they are, what's going to happen, what's going to go on in their future, and so just wanting to provide that tangible support."

Wanting to help, the Pittsburgh stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, gave a $20,000 donation, and the group's youth had a virtual service project centered around Foster Love.

David Bayles, stake president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, said, "We're also Pittsburghers, we also live in here in Dormont, and we just seek opportunities to love our neighbors and teach our children to love our neighbors."

"Our friends at the Church of Latter-Day Saints and the youth projects that they do to serve the community. They do this work all throughout the community, all throughout Western Pennsylvania," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said while touring the Foster Love Project facility.

Hughes says their work is to preserve the dignity of foster children, giving them love, support and supplies.