Welcome Home Youth Advocacy

10/23/2026

We’re opening our doors—and we’re so excited to welcome you! 💙

Welcome Home Youth Advocacy is excited to announce regular open store hours for With & For The 1:27 Initiative, serving foster and adoptive families in our community!

Our heart for this space goes beyond providing clothing. We want kids to experience the joy of shopping, choosing something that feels like them, and knowing they deserve care and attention. We want families to feel welcomed, supported, and valued every time they walk through our doors.

Dignity is in those everyday moments: having choices, being heard, and finding something you’re excited to wear.

We hope these weekly hours make it easier for families to access support and give us more opportunities to build relationships with the community we’re here to serve.

🛍️ Every Thursday | 3:00–6:00 p.m.
📍 171 N Miriam St, Nappanee, IN

Can’t make it during open hours? Appointments are available! Call or text (574) 319-1741 to schedule.

Please share this post so more foster and adoptive families know our doors are open. We can’t wait to welcome you! 💙

09/02/2026

A new episode of the Fostering Conversation podcast is here, and this one means a great deal to me.

I had the privilege of sitting down with Rob Scheer, founder of Comfort Cases and a nationally recognized advocate for children and young people in foster care.

Rob and I share something that goes far beyond advocacy work—we both know personally what it means to experience foster care and to carry those experiences into adulthood. In this conversation, Rob speaks openly about his journey, the heart behind Comfort Cases, and his commitment to making sure children entering foster care are treated with dignity and reminded that they matter.

This is an honest, heartfelt conversation between two people who believe that lived experience should do more than inform this work—it should help lead it.

Rob, thank you for sharing your story, your wisdom, and your heart with me. I’m grateful for the work you continue to do and for the hope you give to so many.

Please listen, share the episode, and help us continue this important conversation. Every time these stories reach someone new, we create another opportunity for greater understanding—and meaningful change.

🎙️ Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2u5o1Jw168e5ORyvqE3LzD?si=qV36AtpRSpemk5LxryPpxA

08/31/2026

Summer break is wrapping up, and our Fostering Hope Foster & Adoptive Support Groups are officially starting back up in just a couple of weeks!

If you are a foster or adoptive parent, you do not have to walk this journey alone. Join Welcome Home Youth Advocacy and Heart City Church - PCA for a safe, supportive space to connect, share victories and burdens, gain practical tools, and build community with others who get it.

Key Details:

First Meeting: Sunday, September 13th, 2026

Schedule: 2nd & 4th Sunday of each month | 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Location: Heart City Church (303 S. 3rd Street, Elkhart, IN)

Dinner & Childcare: Provided! (Please let us know in advance if your child has special needs or dietary restrictions so we can make a plan to best meet their needs.)

Guest Speakers: Special speakers will visit periodically to offer tools, strategies, and required training hours.

Questions or want to connect?

Call 574-564-5485 or email [email protected].

A special thank you to The Source Elkhart County and Indiana Kids Belong for their support.

08/03/2026

Welcome Home Youth Advocacy is teaming up with the The Salvation Army - Goshen, IN and the Nappanee Chamber of Commerce for a Back to School Bash! 🎒✨

Join us during the Summer Slide event to gear up for the new school year!

📅 Saturday, August 8, 2026
🕑 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 Callander Sports Plex, Nappanee

FREE backpacks & supplies (while supplies last)
FREE hot dogs, chips & drinks
FREE carnival games & fun for all ages!

Come out, celebrate the end of summer, and start the school year strong! Help us share the news!

07/23/2026

The Welcome Home Center in Nappanee is made up of a collaborative team of organization’s coming together for our community. The work we do is not about one single organization, it is about improving the lives of the kids and families we serve. We are excited to invite you to our upcoming open house on Friday, August 7 so you can walk through our Building space and learn more about what we do! We encourage you to bring your team from work, your family, your friends, or come by yourself to say hi and learn more about our mission to bring meaningful support to kids and families in our community.

While you’re visiting, we’d love to get to know you a little bit, so please be sure to introduce yourself and let us know if you’d like to get involved, or would like to learn more. We will have a sign-up sheet available. We believe that there is a place for everyone, and that the role each person plays can be as unique as the person serving.

What: Community open house
Where: Welcome Home Center
171 N. Miriam Street, Nappanee, IN 46550
When: Friday August 7, 3-6pm

Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome. Help us spread the word! Share with whoever you know! It would mean so much for us for you to stop by.

For questions email :
Jessica [email protected]

home center

07/09/2026

Just over an hour ago, the dust settled on a project that truly captures the heartbeat of what we do here at Welcome Home.

As a community, we often talk about "being there" for one another. But today, a remarkable group of people showed us exactly what it looks like to turn those words into action.

We recently connected with a local foster family whose backyard was in desperate need of some love. Their old playset had become unsafe, and their backyard playhouse had seen better days.

Thanks to a group of volunteers from R. Yoder Construction who spent their day pouring their hearts, sweat, and professional expertise into this family's backyard, the kids have a brand new playset and a completely renovated playhouse ready for years of memories to be made.

To the crew at R. Yoder Construction: A HUGE, heartfelt thank you.

This is what it means to live out the idea of community. We aren't meant to walk through life isolated. When we lift the burdens of our neighbors and invest in the lives of our children, we strengthen the fabric of our entire community.

07/04/2026

Join Welcome Home in our mission to improve lives in the foster and adoptive community.

07/01/2026

💥 WE ARE STRONGER TOGETHER! 💥
Our hearts are absolutely full! We are incredibly honored and grateful to be named a featured organization this season by Wakarusa Fireworks. 🫶🏼

When local businesses and communities lock arms, incredible things happen for kids and families right here in Northern Indiana. Every single purchase you make with them this summer directly helps us build a stronger, more proactive safety net for our foster and adoptive community.
As our nation looks forward to celebrating 250 years, we are looking forward to what the rest of 2026 has in store. We are more determined than ever to ensure every child has a place to belong and the opportunity to thrive. 🏠
Thank you for standing with and for local families, and for proving that it takes a village to change lives!
👉 Check out the original post below, stop by to support them, and learn more about our ongoing summer programs at www.welcomehomeyouth.org

Join Welcome Home in our mission to improve lives in the foster and adoptive community.

05/29/2026

Peter Mutabazi Foster Dad

05/28/2026

What does it really mean to show up for kids who have experienced trauma, abandonment, and adversity?

In our newest episode of the Fostering Conversation podcast, we sit down with the incredible Peter Mutabazi (aka Peter Mutabazi Foster Dad), author of Love Does Not Conquer All.

From surviving the streets of Uganda as a child to becoming a single foster dad to over 40 children in the U.S., Peter’s life story is a masterclass in resilience, empathy, and hope.

In this powerful episode, we dive into:

💡 Why love alone isn't always enough—and what kids actually need (consistency, patience, and safety).

🏠 The profound impact of making sure every young person feels seen, heard, and known.

🤝 How everyone can play a role in supporting the foster care community, even if you aren't a foster parent yourself.

You do not want to miss this deeply moving and honest conversation.

🎧 Listen now! Click the link https://welcomehomeyouth.org/stay-connected or search "Fostering Conversation" wherever you get your podcasts.