Amara

Spring is all about renewal, and we see that every day in the lives of the children and families we serve. Whether it’s through reuniting families, finding foster caregivers who truly care, or helping children heal from difficult pasts, we’re making sure every child has the chance to blossom. Your support ensures that children and families are not left to face the seasons of life alone. As we step into this season of growth, we invite you to join us in supporting metamorphosis. Your gift directly supports our free programs for kids, youth and caregivers. Together, we can keep planting the seeds of change, one day at a time. https://lnkd.in/gbGAA7XF

We are so excited to announce the date and venue for this year’s Together We Thrive! It’s Thursday, May 29 from 6 – 9 pm at the Museum of Flight! This is Amara’s biggest event of the year, and we hope to see you all there. The money we raise each year from this fundraiser fuels our programs serving kids and families in our communities. Please save this date and stay tuned for early boarding ticket sales! https://lnkd.in/djtuT3SV

One of Amara's strengths is building community and helping others build their communities too. We're launching a new series of community-building events for parents who have experienced child welfare, facilitated by parents who have experienced child welfare. One of our first events is for parents in King County who have experienced the child welfare system to join us for a free, fun cooking class and lunch on Saturday, March 8th from 11 am - 1 pm in our Seattle office. Participants will get to take home the recipe and some groceries too! We're asking parents to please register so we have enough food on hand. Please forward this to any parents who may be interested. https://lnkd.in/gWHRFpNV #kingcounty #buildingcommunity

Amara and The Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub, a partnership between three nonprofits with strong roots in the local Somali community, are thrilled to announce the sale of an 81,000 square-foot portion of Amara’s South Seattle property (5907 MLK Jr Way S, Seattle, WA 98118) to the Hub. The Hub’s goal is to create a multi-generational health hub, senior housing community, cultural anchor, early learning and childcare space, and a community center for Somalis. Amara’s property in south Seattle is perfectly located in the Hub’s focus service area – a community that is already home to many Somali families and businesses and with access to public transportation. “When Amara listed a portion of our Seattle property for sale in the summer of 2023, our dream buyer was another like-minded nonprofit organization that serves children and families. When we met the three organizations that make up The Somali Community Cultural Innovation Hub and learned about their goal to create a space for community that includes childcare, family programming, and eventually accessible housing, we knew this partnership had incredible potential,” said Fahren Johnson, chief executive officer of Amara. Learn more on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gkRiwApf #buildingcommunity #seattle

We are so excited to be a sponsor of this wonderful upcoming event! Sharing from Ebony Fashion Week: "Founded in 2016, Ebony Fashion Week was born to bridge the gap between grassroots communities and the high fashion industry while celebrating Black fashion, culture, and history. Over the years, it has been a platform for emerging and established designers to showcase their creativity in the Pacific Northwest. In 2025, Ebony Fashion Week is evolving. Now a program under Foster & Fashion, this year’s showcase will focus solely on empowering foster youth and alumni by offering them the chance to take center stage—literally. For the first time, all models in the event will be foster youth or alumni, giving them a platform to express themselves and build confidence." #fostercare #fosteryouth #givingback

When love and courage unite, beautiful things happen. At Amara, we often see love and courage uniting to lift families up and help them heal. Love and courage united at the beginning of Cadence’s* story when she was placed in foster care a few days after she was born. When Heather* started fostering, she always thought she’d be caring for older kids, not a newborn. But on that day six years ago, a new family was born. Heather had always wanted to be a mom, but until she became a foster caregiver, that dream had not come true. Even then, she was prepared to foster kids and help support their parents so that they could reunify. She never thought she would be able to adopt. “One of the greatest gifts of fostering is only ever having one more day to plan for, because you don’t know what’s going to happen in the future,” she explained. “Fostering keeps you in the present because the future is so uncertain. You have to enjoy the time right in front of you.” Read the rest of Cadence's story on our blog: https://lnkd.in/gjkHgjaQ #fostercare #love #courage

Amara CEO Fahren Johnson shares an uplifting message: Today, our offices are closed, as we honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  His dream continues to be active throughout our community, and I am proud to be one of the many humans who gets to reap the benefits of his important human rights work to this day. Stay tuned to learn about some of our favorite Black leaders during Black History Month next month! Read our statement in our blog: https://lnkd.in/g3rhEA8E #MLKDay #MLKDay2025 #UnityInCommunity

It’s not always easy being a kinship or foster caregiver. Amara can help caregivers in North King County by providing individualized support to state licensed foster and kinship caregivers and to unlicensed kinship caregivers. We help families connect to the resources they need, such as mental health referrals, childcare, and other resources. Learn more about our new program: https://lnkd.in/gM5s5rVz #fostercare #kinshipcare #caregiving

Wishing everyone a new year filled with hope, happiness & community. As our new CEO Fahren Johnson says: "We're better together." #HappyNewYear #NewYears2025

Happy Holidays everyone. Amara will be closed from Dec. 25, 2024 - Jan. 1, 2025. We look forward to connecting with all in the New Year. 💛