TROY, Ohio (WDTN) — Our 2023 Remarkable Women series continues with our fourth finalist: Katie Vasil.
Katie Vasil started Seeds of Hope OH in Troy about three and a half years ago. She helps meet the basic needs of adoptive, kinship and foster families who need support caring for children, and she knows first-hand how difficult it can be.
“I do strive to be my best, and to help others, and to serve the community, but I don’t do it for a pat on the back. I just do it because that’s what I feel like I’ve been called to do,” says Katie.
The former teacher answered that call in 2017. For two years, Katie hosted monthly givebacks to local nonprofits. As she took in donations, she cultivated another idea after meeting with an adoption and foster agency.
“They said, you know, sometimes families just need ‘stuff.’ They need help. They need ‘stuff.’ And I was like well I can find ‘stuff.’ I’ve been doing that for two years!” exclaims Katie.
That’s when Seeds of Hope OH took root to help foster and kinship families with everything they need.
“We started out with the idea that we would put together a bag of pajamas and clothes and diapers and say, ‘we’re here for you,'” says Katie. “But people said, ‘Do you have beds? Do you have car seats?'”
Asking the community for help, people like Lisa Colebaugh delivered, believing in Katie and her cause. Lisa nominated Katie for our Remarkable Women campaign.
“To take something you want to advocate for like she did and make it come to fruition—oh my goodness! You know, that is just so neat to witness,” smiles Lisa.
Filling a physical need, answering more than a thousand requests for help, Seeds of Hope also fills an emotional one.
“Probably one of the more important things that has come about from this organization is the ability for these families to come together,” says Lisa.
Katie also put herself in the shoes of the people she serves, becoming a foster parent in 2020.
“He was three years old. He was nonverbal and autistic. And so that in itself changed our life tremendously,” tears up Katie. “He impacted me in a way where I’ll never be the same because I know how hard he had it.”
Reaping that reward, she also fostered two other boys. Sowing seeds of hope, the organization continues to grow and so does the need.
“Our need requests are growing every day, the families that we’re helping. It’s more and more,” states Katie. “We’re going to keep saying ‘yes’ until there’s something that we can’t say ‘yes’ to.”
To learn more about Seeds of Hope OH, click here.
