Resilience of Coastal Kids a/k/a ROCK Foundation

Resilience of Coastal Kids a/k/a ROCK Foundation. The ROCK Foundation is an organization that was started by five women on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Our mission is to raise awareness of and making a difference in the lives of innocent children who have been a victim of abuse or neglect. These children have been taken from their homes for various reasons and placed in the homes of foster parents or in the local youth shelters. They are afraid, confused, and in need of love, care, and nurturing. The children’s ages range from new-born to 18 years.

The main goal of The ROCK Foundation is to help these children adjust to their new living situation and let them know that there are people out there who care about them. We also want to increase the awareness of the need for community involvement, foster parents, and even adoption. We have started a storage bank of clothes, shoes, toys, and personal items for these children donated by local businesses and individuals. We try to provide every child that comes in to the system with new outfits and personal items. We also provide holiday parties, outings, picnics and vary types of entertainment for them. Most of the children brought into the foster care system or placed into these youth shelters are not used to these “simple luxuries” that we take for granted.

Right now in the three lower counties of the Mississippi Gulf Coast we have over 850 children placed in local shelters and foster care. This number changes on a daily basis.

Our hope is that the recognition each child receives will encourage that child to continue the good work and become a positive member of the community. As other children witness the positive reinforcement they will want to be winners also. Working hard, attaining goals, and being a positive member of the community will become contagious.