MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern), published as received.

MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – Christopher J. Wilson, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, gathered with members of staff, community leaders, and the media today at the Muskogee non-profit, Fostering Hope, to honor Executive Director Annie Czaruk for her work with Oklahoma children and to award her the U.S. Department of Justice’s Hometown Hero Award for the Eastern District of Oklahoma.

Czaruk, a Muskogee native, co-founded Fostering Hope in 2016 after encountering the stark gaps in funding and resources for children entering foster care.  Seeing the need, Czaruk rose to fill those gaps with resources and care.  In the ensuing ten years, what began with donation drives for emergency supplies has grown into something much greater, serving children in foster care across 58 counties in Oklahoma.

Today, Fostering Hope runs programs to meet the needs of foster children at all stages of care.  Staff members work with teams of volunteers to assemble backpacks that equip a child with all the essentials they might need for the first two weeks at their new placement before state funds begin to cover their care.  Backpacks might include a week’s worth of appropriately sized clothing and shoes, essential toiletries, baby blankets, formula, baby bottles, wipes, diapers, and toys.

Because Czaruk recognized another need in the foster care community, in 2020, Fostering Hope opened Hope House in Muskogee, offering a safe place for children and infants entering foster care.  There, children can regain their footing in a safe, warm, and welcoming environment while awaiting placement into foster homes.

And because life’s challenges don’t stop after placement, Czaruk and her team at Fostering Hope also serve as a training ground where teens in foster care learn and practice life skills.  A Teen Ambassador Board, chartered in 2021, teaches youth to interact with each other and with their community, modeling compassion, leadership, community involvement, and service for others. The Kind Society Social Club, launching this summer in partnership with Green Country Behavioral Health, will teach life skills in a fun community environment while preparing youth for adulthood and life beyond foster care.

“Through Fostering Hope of Muskogee, Annie serves as a continuing example of the good that multiplies from stepping in to meet a need,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.  “Because of her vision and commitment to making a difference for children, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma is proud to recognize Annie Czaruk as our Hometown Hero.”

The Hometown Hero Award was created by the Department of Justice to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America.  Presented by U.S. Attorneys within their districts, the award recognizes local leaders who exemplify the qualities of Liberty, Service, and Civic Responsibility—the enduring ideals upon which our Nation was founded.

To learn more about the work Annie Czaruk, Fostering Hope, and Hope House are doing in Oklahoma, visit https://www.fosteringhopemuskogee.org/.