Daily Inspiration: Meet Laurinda Hogan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurinda Hogan.

Hi Laurinda, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up, I saw firsthand how deeply sibling separation can impact children. Some of the most formative experiences of my life came from watching my own brothers navigate foster care and the emotional toll that separation can take when siblings are no longer together. That experience stayed with me.

Years later, my professional work brought that reality back into focus. I have worked with children and families involved in the foster care system, and I saw sibling groups separated every day, not because they want to be, but because systems often lack the resources to keep them together. Watching that happen repeatedly made it clear to me that this was not just a personal experience, but a broader community issue.

Unite Siblings Foundation was created at the intersection of those two experiences, my personal understanding of sibling separation and my professional exposure to it.

This work is about early intervention, dignity, and keeping families intact whenever possible. Unite Siblings Foundation represents both where I come from and where I believe communities can do better.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but it has been a meaningful one. One of the biggest challenges has been building something new while being intentional about doing it responsibly. I’ve had to learn how to translate passion into structure how to move from identifying a need to creating systems, partnerships, and clear boundaries around what we can and cannot do.

Another challenge has been navigating visibility. When you’re doing community-based work, especially work connected to foster care and family stability, it’s important to communicate clearly without overpromising or stepping outside ethical lines. Learning how to tell the story accurately without exploiting hardship or simplifying complex issues has been a growth process.

Finally, like many grassroots organizations, funding and capacity are ongoing challenges. That has required patience, strategy, and a willingness to start small, pilot intentionally, and build trust over time rather than rushing expansion.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work sits at the intersection of public service and community-based support. Professionally, I work with children and families involved in the foster care system, which has given me direct exposure to the gaps that exist when families are in crisis or transition.

Outside of my professional role, I founded Unite Siblings Foundation to address those gaps through early, preventative support. The foundation focuses on providing Stability Support Kits to families during moments of disruption, such as housing instability, job loss, or sudden life changes, before those challenges escalate into system involvement.

My work is grounded in structure, ethics, and clear boundaries. Unite Siblings Foundation is not case management; it is a supplemental, community-based support model designed to stabilize families and preserve sibling connections whenever possible.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was observant, responsible, and deeply aware of the people around me. I paid attention to how situations affected others and often found myself taking on a supportive role within my family.

I’ve always been grounded in service and accountability, even before I had language for it. Those early traits being attentive, resilient, and people centered innaturally evolved into a career and mission focused on advocacy, stability, and community care.

Looking back, the work I do now feels like a continuation of who I’ve always been, just with more structure and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://UniteSiblingsFoundation.org
• Instagram: @UniteSiblingsFoundation
• Facebook: Unite Siblings Foundation