our mission

Over 40 million Americans, including over 13 million children, are living in poverty. That translates to nearly 30 million adults and nearly 13 million children lived in food-insecure households. Another 2 in 3 Americans will struggle to afford basic needs, even if they don’t qualify for federal benefit programs like SNAP. Food insecurity, or the inability to access quality, nutritious food, have devastating consequences at all stages of life.  

“Our deep concern is that thousands of children are currently being subjected to practices that were determined to be inhumane decades ago,” says Leslie Foster, President of The Gathering Place, “That is not our community, that is not what we stand for.”

Although the policy has been rescinded by Executive Order, there is still no plan in place to reunite separated children with their parents. In addition, it appears that children are lost in the system, throughout the country. Currently, the government appears to be seeking court permission to put children and families into unlicensed situations.

For Leslie Foster and the employees of The Gathering Place, the initial policy, and now the aftermath, has one clear effect: re-traumatizing thousands of children.

The Board of Directors has selected Julia Stewart as the new President of The Gathering Place. Stewart will replace current President Leslie Foster, who announced her retirement earlier this year.