Raising Hope, Inc. is a private, not-for-profit organization based in Pinellas County, Florida. Raising Hope was established in 2004 to meet the emergency clothing and toiletry needs for children coming into Pinellas County’s foster care system. To accomplish this, Raising Hope maintains a Resource Room at the Pinellas County privatized foster care agency. In this Resource Room, we keep an inventory of new and gently-used clothing, new shoes, new underwear, new socks, and age-appropriate toiletry items.

As they enter the foster care system, each child is provided a duffle bag filled with clothing, new socks, underwear, shoes, and age appropriate toiletry items. The filled duffle bag allows the child to arrive at his foster home with his own belongings and a sense of pride and dignity. It also assists the Case Managers in placing the child in emergency situations, since the child is arriving at the foster home with their own clothing and toiletry items.

In 2007, Raising Hope filled the emergency needs of more than 1500 foster children in Pinellas County. This was accomplished by the many donations and volunteer hours donated by the caring citizens of our community.