The gift that keeps giving: How Tiffany Birdsong gives back to her community.
Published 12:06 am Thursday, May 16, 2024
- Tiffany Birdsong, center, celebrates with 4th graders at Calvary Day School who selected Fostering Faith Foundation for their charitable yard sale project. - Submitted
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By Christian Simmons
For the Clemmons Courier
In 2017, Birdsong was a stay-at-home mom, who volunteered at her children’s school and actively contributing to her community and church.
However, initially, Birdsong felt she needed a college degree before taking the plunge into her calling.
“Prior to embarking on this journey, I was also pursuing my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. I successfully obtained my degree from Liberty University at the end of 2020, all while laying the groundwork for this foundation.” Birdsong said.
When she was going about in her community of Lexington and noticed that items were being delivered to a local organization. These items would then be passed on to group homes as Christmas presents for the people there. Upon further inspection of the items, Birdsong discovered they were hygiene products. This made her uneasy.
“I didn’t feel right considering it was for Christmas.” Birdsong said.
She felt that more had to be done. So, in 2018, she decided that a change needed to take place. And change started by Birdsong creating personalized blankets crafted with embroidered Bible verses on them. She then gave them to a local group home.
But the change didn’t stop there.
“In the following year, I decided that I would fulfill the wishes of all the children within that group home,” Birdsong said.
Around this time, Birdsong realized that she wasn’t alone in this pursuit.
With the help of the local community, alongside her family, they were all able to fulfill such a task. It was this action that Birdsong felt the calling on her life. That calling inspired her to make an even bigger difference in the lives of those in her community.
“I applied for non-profit status and received it just before the COVID shutdown,” Birdsong said.
Though she had a clear plan and the drive to see it through, it didn’t happen without its share of challenges.
“One of the challenges I have faced as a nonprofit organization is the misconception and stigma surrounding foster care,” Birdsong said. “Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the immense trauma these children have endured and the desperate need for love, belonging, faith and hope in their lives. These children come from backgrounds of substance abuse, physical abuse and other unimaginable circumstances. They are our neighbors and our kids classmates.
“Lack of awareness about these issues often deters people from offering their support. Financially, it has been a struggle to convey the importance of monetary contributions, even though people are willing to donate physical items. Especially during the challenging year of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were moments when I wondered if we would be able to fulfill the wishes of these children, as we rely on our community taking wishes from our wish tree.”
Birdsong, along with family and community volunteers worked tirelessly to fulfill the Christmas wishes of foster children within their community.
“It was a year that brought immense joy to the children in group homes as well as the foster families,” Birdsong said. “Especially considering the isolation that they were already going through.”
Birdsong and her team later became known as the Fostering Faith Foundation, and they continued in their mission to help the less fortunate in their community.
“I serve our families and coordinate with volunteers to engage with individuals and businesses in the community to secure support,” Birdsong said. “My role encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. However, one of my favorite parts, aside from serving our families at the resource center, is being able to personally deliver Christmas wishes as Mrs. Claus. The joy of spreading cheer and delivering wishes to children across the state is truly fulfilling. Last Christmas alone, we served 275 children in foster care across nine counties, spanning from Wilkesboro to Reidsville and Mount Pleasant to Gastonia.”
In a job like this, memories are constantly made. Some that even touch the heart.
“One of the memories that touched me deeply was when a new foster mom received two brothers and realized that a loft bed, rather than a twin bed, would be a better fit for one of the boys,” Birdsong said. “One of the boys found solace underneath her kitchen table, as it was where he felt safest, hiding from the horrors of an abusive home. When I heard this, I knew we had to create a special space for him. We ordered the loft bed and our team assembled it, complete with a Batman fort cover for the bottom area. The boy was extremely grateful as we could see it in his eyes. We wanted him to have a safe and special place of his own.”
Another memorable moment was when a foster mom brought her newly placed foster son to our resource center just a few hours after his arrival.
“We provided him with clothes, hygiene products, books and toys,” Birdsong said. “While we helped him pick out clothes, I noticed that he kept looking at something on the shelf. I asked him what caught his attention, and he pointed to a tablet. I told him that it was his to keep, and his face lit up with joy. He hugged me tightly, expressing his gratitude. He went on to share how he had a tablet at his previous home but was not allowed to bring it with him when he entered foster care. This is a common experience for many children in foster care, not being able to hold onto something they cherish. That’s why our resource center and others like it are so important.”
With her eyes on the future, Birdsong had a plan.
“Our mission is a growing one, and as a foundation, we are dedicated to expanding our impact,” she said. “We have outgrown our current space and our goal is to secure a larger resource center within the Clemmons community when able. With this expansion, we would be able to serve even more families and group homes, offer more and expand our resources, addressing even more specific needs and elevating their support. Additionally, we have several programs in development that we would love to implement in the near future. Our hope is that we can find the right contributions to expand and implement our programs. We are also seeking to establish partnerships with businesses and community members, both in terms of volunteering and financial contributions, to further support our mission and continue making a meaningful difference.
“You can also come out and support any of our events including our October 5th Fall Fest Car Show at River Oaks Community Church with proceeds helping us with our 2024 wishlists from our friends in care. And if you’re interested in Fostering, join us for our upcoming licensing class starting July 9th at Calvary Baptist Church with our friends from Seven Homes.”
Anyone interested in finding out more information, donating, or even help volunteering for the Founding Faith Foundation, can go to their website at www.fosteringfaithfoundation.org.
