Katie and Kevin Mosley said yes to keeping families together. In late fall 2022, when Better Together called and asked if the Ocala couple could care for a 2-month-old baby while his mother sought treatment, work and housing, they said yes.
For three months, they cared for little Brayden while keeping him connected to his mom through phone calls and FaceTime. The Mosley’s boys welcomed the little one, making room for him in their lives. They learned responsibility and love.
Heather got the time and space to get treatment and find a home for her and her son. She and Katie grew close. Heather knew she could go to Katie for advice or just to be a sounding board.
“Better Together has helped me find my safe haven. And that safe haven will also be my son’s safe haven,” Heather says. “These people have helped me with finding little things in life, like job skills, like a home—a place that I can actually call home—and more relationships coming along the way that I can actually appreciate and keep in contact with them.”
Heather didn’t need foster care. She needed a friend, a community, a support system.
More than 20,000 children in Florida will enter foster care in the next year because their parents do not have the resources and support to keep a stable home. You can help.
These children were not abused. Their parents simply couldn’t provide food and shelter due to tough issues like addiction, illness, homelessness, and unemployment. These are good parents who are struggling to get help and care for children at the same time. They don’t need foster care — they need a friend. That’s where Better Together comes in.
Our nonprofit was founded on the belief that loving parents should not lose children because they are having money problems, or had the courage to seek treatment, or got hospitalized without child care. These challenges can be overcome with the right support system in place.
Better Together is a voluntary, community-driven organization on a mission to prevent the need for foster care. Our families program has served over 6,000 children in Florida and kept 98% of families together.
But we can’t do it alone. We need your help.
Join us September 19 and 20 in Give4Marion, a 33-hour campaign dedicated to raising funding and awareness for nonprofit organizations in Marion County. Support is welcome from all over the state, even the world.
Power Hours and Matching Moments help your dollars go further. Here are a few we’re really excited about. We hope you’ll join us!
Tuesday, September 19
- 10 a.m. to noon — Tri-Eagle Sales matches the first $1,000 raised for Better Together.
- Noon — All online gifts up to $100 will be matched dollar for dollar by Team Cone until the $15,000 runs out.
- 4 p.m. — All online gifts up to $100 will be matched dollar for dollar by an angel donor until the $10,000 runs out.
- 8 p.m. — $1,000 goes to the large nonprofit with the most donors between 8 and 9 p.m., thanks to Hennessy Arabians.
Overnight
- 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. — This Power Hour gives $1,000 to the large nonprofit with the most donors overnight.
Wednesday, September 20
- 8 a.m. — The CEP Breakfast DOUBLE Matching Moment doubles your online gift of up to $100 dollar for dollar during the breakfast until the $25,000 runs out. Sponsored by Circle Square Foundation. Watch the Community Foundation live on their Facebook page; they’ll say “GO!” when the matching moment starts.
- 1 p.m. — $750 goes to the large nonprofit with the most donors between 1 and 2 p.m.
All donations must be made through the Better Together Give4Marion page to count: give4marion.org/organizations/better-together.
Learn more at give4marion.org.
We’re also going live…
You can help us spread the word of Better Together’s mission. We’ll be going LIVE on Facebook a few times during this event, and we’d love for you to share and send us some hearts.
We’ll kick off Give4Marion with a Facebook Live at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
At 7 p.m. Tuesday, we’ll meet up with Angelee and talk about how just a two-week hosting and a community of support helped her get back on her feet and hopeful for the future.
Then on Wednesday, at 11:45 a.m., we’re planning to talk with Danielle Marciano about her family’s hosting experience.
Find our Facebook page at facebook.com/BTogetherOrg.
And you won’t want to miss our gift card giveaways. Stay tuned!
We are grateful for all you do for Florida families.
Posted Saturday, September 16, 2023
