EMBRACE to kick off capital campaign Saturday at Friendship Brewery in Hannibal

HANNIBAL, Mo. — EMBRACE will hold a kickoff for its capital campaign at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9, at Friendship Brewery, 422 N. Main. The capital campaign, with a goal of $300,000, is an effort to raise funding for a larger facility.

EMBRACE provides immediate supplies for foster children ages newborn to 21. It requires space to store and distribute items, and it has outgrown the donated space it has used for the last three years. EMBRACE also hopes to implement new services for older youth who are aging out of the foster care system. Having a larger facility with space for a classroom would allow the organization to implement a life skills training program for these youths.

EMBRACE Children and Families is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Missouri and is 100 percent volunteer-based. EMBRACE provides resources to foster children and foster families in the 10th Judicial Circuit of Missouri, which consists of Marion, Monroe and Ralls counties.

Approximately 334 foster children are in care in the 10th Judicial Circuit, with only 52 traditional foster homes. The average length of time a child in our circuit spends in care is 28 months. EMBRACE volunteers are on constant call to meet whatever needs these families have as an effort to reduce the stress and strain that fostering often presents.

EMBRACE offers several services for foster children and foster families. These services include the EMBRACE Shop, extracurricular scholarships, educational scholarships, community trainings, respite nights, First Night Bags, grocery giveaway, school supply drive and more.

For more information about EMBRACE and its capital campaign, visit embracenemo.com, see their Facebook page, email them at info@embracenemo.com or call 573-340-5796.

Donations can be made at embracenemo.com or by mailing a check to EMBRACE Children & Families at P.O. Box 1376, Hannibal, Mo., 63401.