Each year, children in foster care in Haywood County move between homes carrying little more than what they can fit in a bag, often leaving behind the everyday items that provide comfort, stability, a sense of belonging and a sense of identity. The Haywood County Republican Party wants to ease that transition by collecting essential supplies and small personal items to ensure those children have what they need as they navigate an already uncertain chapter in their lives. 

For many of us, pets are family. They greet us at the door, comfort us when we are sad and offer love without judgment.  

As a mental health clinician specializing in animal-assisted therapy, I have witnessed the deep, healing bonds that can exist between humans and their animals. Companion animals are more than just pets. They often serve as family, as emotional support and at times as the only source of wholehearted love in a person's life.  

The COVID pandemic may seem like ancient history to most western North Carolinians, but foster children in Haywood County are still feeling its ripple effects. Due to abuse, neglect or other adverse circumstances, they need stable and supportive temporary homes and there are not enough foster homes. 

Neglected or abused children who become involved with the state’s courts or social services agencies often find themselves with nowhere to turn — or worse, torn between two parents.