Each year, hundreds of teenagers age out of foster care in the Kansas City metropolitan area. These students leave the system without permanent families and support, facing high risks of homelessness and unemployment. Bright Futures is a community-wide effort supported by Resurrection’s Foster Adopt Ministry, Women’s Ministries, and mission partners to help these teens as they prepare for independence.

On April 11, Resurrection welcomed 151 teenagers aging out of the foster care system to the Leawood Student Center for Bright Futures: Fostering Financial Literacy, a half-day event designed to equip young adults with practical skills and resources.

Participants moved through vendor tables, resource booths, and prospective employer connections before joining breakout sessions and a group budgeting workshop. Each teen then met with a personal shopper for a trip to Walmart, funded by a $100 grant from the Resurrection Foundation.

The event drew 81 mentors and approximately 30 additional volunteers, all working alongside Kansas and Missouri foster youth in what organizers described as a day of genuine connection. Many participants and mentors asked about staying in contact after the event, a reflection of the relationships that formed throughout the morning.

Bright Futures is part of Resurrection’s Vision 2030 commitment to closing the opportunity gap for teens aging out of foster care.