Foster SQUAD

10/19/2026

We’re excited to share that our Board of Directors member, Michelle Danker, was recently interviewed by 107.1, where she shared her personal foster care story and why supporting children and families in foster care means so much to her.

Michelle’s passion for making a difference has inspired something special: Foster SQUAD’s first annual Pumpkins, Pastries & Pickleball with a Purpose! ❤️

Join us for a morning of pickleball, friendly competition, delicious baked goods, and community—all for a cause that matters.

📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026
⏰ 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
📍 Polk County Pickleball | Ankeny, IA

Come play, enjoy some treats, and help us support children and families navigating foster care. Every bit of community support makes a difference!

🏓 Register today!
https://www.fostersquad.org/events-1/pumpkins-pastries-pickleball-with-a-purpose-1

Thank you, Michelle, for turning your personal story into a way to bring our community together for a purpose! 💙

10/16/2026

Rob and Mercedes talk with Michelle Danker and Traci Schermerhorn from Foster SQUAD about an upcoming pickleball fundraiser that will help provide Launch Kits for young adults aging out of foster care.

Hear how one former foster youth is using her personal story to create opportunities and support for the next generation. It’s a powerful conversation about resilience, community, and helping young people begin adulthood with hope.

Listen now: https://www.life1071.com/podcasts/faith-and-life-today/

Learn more about the event at https://www.fostersquad.org/events

10/16/2026

We are SO blessed to have the wonderful Michelle Danker on our Foster SQUAD board! Michelle is using her own experience as a teen in foster care to show up for other kids walking a similar path. And she’s not just talking about making a difference—she’s DOING something about it!

Check out this podcast featuring Michelle as she shares her story and talks about an upcoming pickleball tournament benefiting Foster SQUAD on October 24!

We are so grateful for people like Michelle who turn their personal experiences into something meaningful for the next generation. There are still spots available so sign your team up to participate! www.fostersquad.org/events

Rob and Mercedes talk with Michelle Danker and Traci Schermerhorn from Foster SQUAD about an upcoming pickleball fundraiser that will help provide Launch Kits for young adults aging out of foster care.

Hear how one former foster youth is using her personal story to create opportunities and support for the next generation. It’s a powerful conversation about resilience, community, and helping young people begin adulthood with hope.

Listen now: https://www.life1071.com/podcasts/faith-and-life-today/

Learn more about the event at https://www.fostersquad.org/events

10/16/2026

Join us for Foster SQUAD’s inaugural Pumpkins, Pastries & Pickleball with a Purpose!

Spend your morning enjoying pickleball, friendly competition, delicious baked goods, and community, all while supporting children and families in foster and kinship care.

📅 Saturday, October 24, 2026
⏰ 8 AM to 12 PM
📍 Polk County Pickleball in Ankeny

Grab your friends, bring your competitive spirit, and help us make a difference! We can’t wait to see you there!

Register here: https://www.fostersquad.org/events-1/pumpkins-pastries-pickleball-with-a-purpose-1

10/16/2026

Meet my friend Caitlin.❤️

You HAVE to watch this video!

Caitlin mentions a Facebook post where she and I “met,” so naturally, I had to go back and find it. July 2 is when this partnership started.

Since then, Caitlin has collected approximately 998,543 articles of clothing. (That’s not a real number, but we must be getting close! 🤣)

With her help, we’ve already given several families bags of clothing, and she’s not even in her actual space yet!

Here’s the really great part. I’ve always said we wouldn’t start a clothing closet because it was just too much work. Caitlin wanted to start a clothing closet but didn’t have the “infrastructure” to get it off the ground.

Voila! We meet, and the magic happens.

Hearing Caitlin talk about her journey and how she now understands that she had to go through some hard things to get to where she is hits home for me. Because I say this ALL THE TIME. Sometimes the things that break our hearts end up leading us exactly where we’re supposed to be. ❤️

And I want you to hear something else she says in this video: YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS.

Every donation, every volunteer hour, every person who steps up and says, “I want to help,” makes a difference to a foster family. Sometimes you may never fully understand the impact you’ve had, but please know that it matters more than you realize.

Caitlin found her purpose, and now she’s using it to make a difference for foster families through Threaded in Hope. And Foster SQUAD gets to be part of that! 🥹

Caitlin, I am SO thankful you reached out. We are honored to come alongside you and help bring your vision to life. I can’t wait to see what Threaded in Hope becomes and how many families will be impacted because you found your purpose and decided to do something with it.

And friends, let this be a lesson… if you post on our social media that you want to do something, I WILL reach out. 😂
❤️ Traci

10/14/2026

What a great day at the Women Lead Change Conference! 💙

We loved connecting with so many amazing women who care about making a difference in their communities!

Our conversations included current foster parents, women considering becoming foster parents, and community members who simply wanted to learn more about foster care and how they can help.

Every conversation matters. Whether you're opening your home, supporting a family who has, or just trying to figure out where you fit in, there's a place for you in this work.

That's what Foster SQUAD is all about: bringing people together, building connections, and making sure no one has to navigate foster care alone.

10/12/2026

A big thank you to Menagerie Stables for dropping off toys collected for Operation Santa! 🎁

We are so grateful for your continued support of Foster SQUAD and the foster and kinship families we serve. Your generosity helps make the holiday season a little brighter for so many children! 🎅💙

10/10/2026

Who wants to come play BINGO today?!?

🎉 TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY! 🎉

We’re ready to BINGO for a great cause! 💙💛

Join us Saturday at Uptown Garage for Bingo Palooza — Play for a Purpose!

A few friendly reminders before you arrive:

🎟️ $20 per session — play one or stay for both!

🚪 Doors open at NOON!

🪑 Come early and grab your seat! Seating is first come, first served, so arrive early if you’d like to sit with friends.

🚗 Allow a little extra time to find parking and get checked in.

💵 Cash or debit cards only — no credit cards.

🍔 Come hungry, grab a drink, and enjoy an afternoon of bingo, cash prizes, and giving back to our community!

Bring your friends, bring your lucky charm, and let’s PLAY FOR A PURPOSE! 🍀

10/09/2026

FILL A NEED FRIDAY!

This week, we have a simple need with a BIG impact. A teen needs a dorm-size refrigerator.

Having a place to keep his own food may seem like a small thing, but for a young person navigating life and trying to build some independence, having his own space and his own belongings matters. Can you help us get him a dorm fridge?

If you have a new or gently used dorm-size refrigerator you’d like to donate, we’d love to put it directly into the hands of a teen who needs it. Because sometimes supporting kids in foster care isn't about the big, dramatic things. Sometimes it's about making sure they have a place to keep their lunch.