Cheryl Adair
How one nonprofit founder is transforming the foster care experience for vulnerable children through compassion and practical support.
Cheryl Adair: Creating New Beginnings for Children in Foster Care
Cheryl Adair serves as the founder and CEO of Suitcases for New Beginnings, a nonprofit organization she launched six years ago in a small town outside Branson, Missouri.
After her divorce, Adair returned to school and earned an associate degree in elementary education. She went on to work as a paraprofessional in a special education classroom, where the challenges she encountered while reporting child abuse inspired her to take action.
Having grown up in a supportive foster home herself, Adair understood the importance of helping children entering the foster care system feel valued and cared for. She created Suitcases for New Beginnings to provide duffel bags and diaper bags filled with essential items, including a stuffed animal, a book about foster care, and journals for older children and youth.
Her goal is simple but meaningful: to ensure children entering foster care do not arrive carrying nothing but a trash bag.
This year, Adair expanded the nonprofit's mission by launching a trauma-based mentorship program designed to help children in foster care and adoption develop social skills while addressing the effects of trauma.
Among the organization's notable achievements is its annual Polar Express Christmas event, where sponsored gifts bring excitement and smiles to children's faces during the holiday season.
Adair's personal experiences have shaped both her leadership and her approach to nonprofit work. She understands firsthand how meaningful a stable, supportive environment can be for a child, and she has turned that understanding into an organization dedicated to providing comfort, dignity, and hope.
For those aspiring to start their own nonprofit, Adair recommends doing thorough research before getting started. She encourages prospective nonprofit leaders to consult with a nonprofit attorney and secure adequate startup funding.
Her own experience of launching the organization without money taught her how challenging the process can be. Today, she hopes others can learn from those early struggles and build their organizations on a stronger foundation.
Through Suitcases for New Beginnings, Adair is doing more than providing bags of necessities. She is helping children begin a difficult new chapter with dignity, comfort, and the reminder that they are not alone.
