Nancy O'Neill has found a passion in helping older kids.

“I have worked with foster children all my professional life, and have always had a special place in my heart for the older youth in care. This is an opportunity to provide direct help to these youth as they make their way from foster care to independent living,” said Nancy O’Neill, a recent Licking County Foundation donor.

Donor advised funds allow donors to give to charitable causes and organizations that they care about most. O'Neill established The O’Neill Foster Youth Fund to provide support to older children in Licking County foster care and those youth transitioning to independent living.

Although Nancy has lived in Texas for over 40 years, she grew up in Licking County and has deep ties to the community. “Licking County has been very good to my family for many generations, and this is a chance to give back to that community,” she said.

After graduating with a sociology degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she graduated from The Ohio State University College of Law in 1975. Nancy then moved to Texas where she dedicated her career to assisting children in foster care, through her work as an attorney and teaching at-risk high school students.

“One of the many things that seems special about Licking County is that there is a small-enough number of older foster care youth that there can be a focus on each child. I hope it is able to help, in some way, each youth in Licking County who is moving from foster care to living on his or her own,” said Nancy.

Like Nancy, do you want to make a difference? Fostering Further has two Newark stores accepting community donations that are then offered for free to foster and former-foster youth transitioning to independent living. The St. John's United Church of Christ has household goods, non-perishable food and toiletry items. The Union Street store provides small furniture pieces. Visit fosteringfurther.org for more information.