LANSDALE, PA — Marvin’s Home, a non-profit organization focused on supporting individuals aging out of the foster care system, has achieved a significant milestone, completing its 100th apartment makeover and move-in. The renovation was for Kashyra Hand, a 20-year-old single mother from Delaware County, who celebrated with the organization’s all-volunteer team as her newly furnished two-bedroom apartment was revealed.
The non-profit, founded six years ago by interior designer Mel McDaniel, has provided essential aid to former foster youth transitioning into independent living. The organization collaborates closely with Valley Youth House to reach individuals entering this challenging phase.
“Every move-in is special,” said Mel McDaniel, founder of Marvin’s Home. “But Number One and Number 100 are extra special. Every one of the estimated 20,000 adults that annually age out of foster face unimaginable challenges and too few supportive resources. Working with our housing-placement partner, Valley Youth House, we’re helping to ease the transition to independent living for remarkable young adults like Kaysha.”
The recipient of this milestone support, Kashyra Hand, has faced significant hardships throughout her life, including being put up for adoption as an infant. Despite her struggles, she has worked tirelessly to create a stable future for herself and her child. Hand currently works as a child care aide and is pursuing a degree at Montgomery County Community College.
“Moving out of foster into our very own apartment – our beautifully decorated and furnished apartment – is beyond special, it’s a dream come true, made possible by Mel and her amazing team,” Hand shared. “My life has been hard, starting when my birth mother put me up for adoption when I was only a few weeks old. But we are now in our new home and the future has never been brighter. I hope and pray other fosters can have the same life-changing opportunity.”
Kristin Hayes, Board Chair of Marvin’s Home, emphasized the systemic gaps in the foster care system while acknowledging the role of the organization. “Marvin’s Home alone cannot fix a badly broken child welfare system that repeatedly fails young people like Kashyra when they age out of their foster home. We are humbled to be able to help her and her child, and hope we can continue to provide this invaluable service for years to come.”
Marvin’s Home continues to support young adults transitioning into independence, lifting them up one apartment at a time, and providing an opportunity for a brighter future.
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