INSPIRE
Real Lives. Real Impact.
Stories have the power to connect and inspire and this is where we share real stories from the foster care community. Through the lens of those who have live it, we illuminate on the challenges, triumphs, and inspiring moments that define this community.
This is the space for inspiration and the narrative that sparks a change.
Celebrating Kelly Middleton
Kelly grew up and lived most of her life in Ohio. She was actually paralyzed in a horse accident and rehabbed back to walking. About 2 years later, she was re-paralyzed and in a wheelchair. During this time, she was left a single mother to two children. They were...
Elle Garrison
"I had a great career, I had bought my own home, and I had a nice new car. Right when life was easy and simple, I saw some facebook posts from a couple friends in my area talking about sibling groups coming into foster care. Both posts explained that the siblings had...
The Loehr Family
Diane and Jason have been married for 19 years and began their relationship with the dream to one day adopt. In 2012, the two became licensed foster parents and started their foster care journey. In total, this couple welcomed five teenagers and four children into...
Celebrating The Teague Family
The story of The Teague Family was featured in the Bananaland Documentary. Watch the full video here. Durham, North Carolina is filled with lollygagger baseball fans, but there was not a dry eye in the ballpark when Bananas Foster took to the field to...
The Cole Family
Emily and Jesse Cole are the owners of the Savannah Bananas, known as the Greatest Show in Sports. The Cole's started the organization with the goal to make baseball fun and bring families together. Inspired by the foster care community, Emily and Jesse became...
Celebrating Sarah Michaels
Click Here to watch Sarah Michaels' celebration in Indianapolis, Indiana. Indianapolis, Indiana gave us the largest crowd in the 2023 Banana Ball World Tour. It was a magical sight as I watched the crowd come together all standing, clapping, and cheering for one...
Celebrating The Gandy Family
A crowd, brought to their feet and wiping their tears, celebrated the Gandy Family on June 17th, 2023 in Grayson Stadium. Jim and Iris Gandy became a licensed foster family in 2018. The family currently have 9 children in their home. Of those children, 6 are currently...
The Mathias Family
Catherine and her husband met in 2015 and were married in 2020. The couple moved to Savannah in 2021; Catherine is the Recruitment Coordinator for Elks Aidmore, a therapeutic foster care agency, and her husband serves in the military. Faith is important to both of...
The Meyers Family
Tris Meyers is a fan-favorite and known in Bananaland as the Man Nandalorian, Man-Nana. On game day, you’ll find Tris running around the stadium bringing enthusiastic energy and smiles to the crowd. What fans don’t see is Tris’s involvement in the foster care...
Your Story Matters
Are you a foster family that wants to share your heartwarming journey? Or perhaps, a former foster child or teen with experiences that could inspire others? We want to hear from you!
Tell Your Story and let’s shine a light on what’s happening within the foster care community.