“It Takes a Community”: Brittany’s Story

Brittany Goss still remembers the day she bought her first home.

It was May 5th. Cinco de Mayo. While many of her friends were out celebrating after graduating from college, she was sitting at a closing table, signing paperwork that would change her life.

She was 22 years old.

Through Foster Forward’s ASPIRE program, Brittany set a goal and followed through. With the support of the matched savings program, she became the first and only participant to use an ASPIRE match to purchase a home.

For Brittany, it was more than a milestone.

“My parents didn’t ever own their own house,” she shared. “So being able to buy my first house at such a young age… it was just an amazing feeling.”

That moment marked the beginning of something new.

Brittany first connected with Foster Forward years earlier, when she was in foster care herself. Like many young people, she was navigating a system that often lacked consistency and long-term support. But what she found at Foster Forward was something different.

“Foster Forward is like family,” she said.

That sense of connection did not end when she left the programs. It stayed with her. And over time, it grew into something more.

For the past 15 years, Brittany has been a Real Connections mentor. What began as a mentorship became a relationship that is now deeply personal.

“She’s my little sister… she comes to all my holidays,” Brittany said of her mentee.

Her mentee had spent years in group homes, moving from place to place without a consistent support system. Brittany stepped into that role, not just as a mentor, but as someone who would show up, stay connected, and be there when it mattered most.

When her mentee’s housing fell through, Brittany did not hesitate. She opened her home.

She continues to support her today, offering guidance, stability, and a sense of belonging.

“I’m so glad I have you,” her mentee has told her.

Even now, Brittany does not do this work alone. When she needs support, she still turns to Foster Forward.

“I can call them and say, ‘I need help,’ and they’ll say, ‘We’ll figure it out together,’” she said.

That relationship has never gone away. It has simply evolved.

Today, Brittany is thinking about what comes next.

Her next goal is to purchase a multifamily home, not just as an investment, but as a way to give back. She wants to rent to young people aging out of foster care, providing them with the same sense of stability and opportunity that she once needed.

“If I can help someone… just be there and show them you can do this too,” she said.

For Brittany, the impact of Foster Forward is clear. It is not just about one program or one moment in time. It is about what happens over years. It is about the relationships that continue. It is about the way support grows and extends outward.

“It takes a community,” she said.

Brittany’s story is not just about what she achieved. It is about what she is building. It is about the ripple effect that happens when someone is given the tools, the support, and the belief that they can reach their goals.

And it is about what becomes possible when that support continues long after a program ends.