Bates Mission

🚨 Year 5 Flashback: The Networking Hustle 🚨

As we continue our countdown to August, we’re looking back at the season when Bates Mission was powered by coffee meetings, chamber breakfasts, and a whole lot of explaining.

Before there were programs, there were conversations.

There were early mornings with name tags and handshakes.
There were “So what exactly do you do?” questions.
There were moments of trying to fit a big vision into a two-minute introduction.

We talked about young adults aging out of foster care — and why stability, support, and community matter more than people realize.

We repeated the mission again.
And again.
And again.

Some conversations led nowhere.
Some turned into partnerships.
Some became the first people who said, “We believe in this.”

It wasn’t flashy. But it was foundational.

Looking back, those rooms full of small talk and big hope helped build everything that came next. 💙

Honoring those who gave everything so the rest of us could have a future worth building. 🇺🇸

Wishing you a meaningful Memorial Day.