Girl Scout leads foster youth initiative during Foster Care Awareness Month

Submitted by Cynthia Holladay
For The Reporter

May is recognized nationally as Foster Care Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the needs of children and young adults in foster care and recognizing the importance of community support.

Fishers High School junior and Girl Scout Sophie Holladay, 17, marked this month by celebrating the completion of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, completed in partnership with Foster Success, an organization focused on supporting older youth transitioning out of foster care.

The Girl Scout Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn and recognizes leadership through sustainable community impact projects. Holladay has been volunteering in the foster care community through Girl Scouts since she was 13 years old and has focused most of her advocacy work on improving opportunities and support systems for youth aging out of foster care.

The project, titled “Youth Lounge and Basic Needs Pantry,” focused on creating a welcoming youth lounge and expanding Foster Success’s Basic Needs Pantry to better serve older foster youth. The completed lounge offers a safe, supportive environment where young people can study, socialize, access resources, and connect with services that help them transition successfully into adulthood. The pantry has been enhanced with increased storage capacity and dedicated space for volunteers to assemble care packages for foster youth across Indiana and nationwide.

The pantry expansion involved Holladay coordinating volunteers, securing donations and discounted materials for shelving systems, and partnering with professional organizers from The Simple Life to create a functional, sustainable system.

“We believe that organized, intentional spaces can remove barriers and make it easier for people to access what they need,” said Caitlyn Klatt of The Simple Life. “Being part of a project that supports foster youth in such a practical, lasting way was incredibly meaningful to us.”

Furnishing the lounge with comfortable seating, games, study areas, and technology involved collaborating with interior designer Sheila Hawes to thoughtfully design the space and recruiting volunteers from New Hope Presbyterian Church to bring the vision to life.

“I wanted this project to be more than just a room or pantry. I wanted foster youth to feel seen, supported, and connected to opportunities that can change their future,” Holladay said. “During Foster Care Awareness Month, I hope it encourages others to better understand and support older foster youth.”

Foster Success celebrated Foster Care Awareness Month by hosting a community open house called “Breaking Down Barriers” on May 7 at its downtown Indianapolis office. The event invited community members to tour the space, learn about the challenges older foster youth face, and explore programs supporting education, housing stability, workforce readiness, and health and wellness.

The open house underscored the importance of creating spaces where foster youth feel supported, connected, and empowered. Leaders at Foster Success emphasized that strong community support and access to resources can have a lasting impact on young people navigating adulthood without traditional family support systems.

“Older foster youth are often the forgotten population, and too often we expect them to navigate adulthood on their own,” said Travis Tester, Chief Development and Communications Officer at Foster Success. “Spaces like this help them feel supported, connected, and part of a community that’s truly rallying behind them.

Through her Gold Award project, Holladay demonstrated how youth-led service and advocacy can create meaningful, lasting change for youth in the community.

Learn more about Foster Success at fostersuccess.org.