Bell Community Foundation

Black Trash Bag Day... It Ends Now!

Over 120,000 children in the U.S. are legally free for adoption, but if they’re not adopted by their 18th birthday, they “age out”—facing what many call Black Trash Day, when they’re handed a trash bag, removed from their foster placement, and left to face the world alone.Turning 18 should never mean being discarded.

This is happening on our watch, AND WITH YOUR HELP, IT ENDS NOW!

The Mission:

We’re raising $41,184 to fund:

✅ BIG Friends: Mentorship & family-matching pilot programs in 3 cities

✅ Awareness campaigns to find new families & advocates

✅ Support for nonprofits helping with adoption, coaching, and placement

✅ Training for leaders & mentors to create scalable community solutions

This is being launched through the Bell Community Foundation registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and HopeMakers which means your donation is 100% tax-deductible.

Why this is personal:

Catherine Bell - LinkedIn Profile

Hi, I’m Catherine Bell—

A mom, an investor, a best-selling author… and a former foster kid.

I was adopted at 16, and it saved my life.

Years later, I adopted my twins, Sarah and Jordan, from the foster care system.

Today, Jordan is a U.S. Marine serving in Japan, and Sarah is living a joyful, purpose-driven life at 20.

I know firsthand what one YES can do.

Now, I’m building a movement to help 50 children find their YES—before they face Black Trash Bag Day.

Greg Zlevor, Founder, HopeMakers LinkedIn Profile

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fighting for kids who never got a fair start. As a high school science teacher and coach, I saw how quickly potential fades without support. Over the years, that fire’s only grown.

I’ve served on the board of the Hope Foundation in the slums of Calcutta. I’ve backed The Freedom Story in Thailand to help stop child trafficking at its source. I created the 48 Hours retreat at Boston College to help first-year students find purpose. I’ve led mission trips to Jamaica, Ecuador, and across U.S. inner cities. And still, the image of a child left behind—discarded—haunts me.

This isn’t a side project. It’s my life’s work.

The fact that we’re handing kids a trash bag on their 18th birthday and calling that freedom? That’s not freedom. That’s system failure. HopeMakers is more than a community—it’s a collective of thinkers, leaders, and everyday heroes ready to rewrite that story. It’s time we end Black Trash Bag Day. Not someday. Not next year. We start Now. Please donate if you can. Leave your info if you’d like gifts or more details.

Join us online or live. We’re a crew of real people, having real conversations, making good shit happen.

Scholarships are available. We are the HopeMakers Collective.

HopeMakers in Forbes https://hopemakerscollective.com/forbes

Be a HopeMaker https://hopemakerscollective.com/

— Here’s What You Get When You Give:

Your Gift Your Thank-You

✅ $30+ Signed copy of Success Habits of Super Achievers

✅ $100+ 25% off a HopeMakers event ($500 value) + Access to all online seminars + Signed book

✅ $400+ 50% off HopeMakers event ($988 value) + 2 signed books (Think Big + Success Habits) + Full VIP online access

✅ $500+ Free ticket to a HopeMakers live experience ($1,975 value) + 1-hour Life Design coaching session with Greg Zlevor ($1,000 value) + Access to exclusive post-event Q&As

BONUS: Top 5 Donors Over $500 will receive a full weekend retreat at Greg Zlevor’s private residence for a “Build My Worthwhile Life” experience (Valued at $20,000+).

How You Can Help:

Donate – Every dollar creates momentum and transformation

Share:Tell your friends, team, mastermind group, or social following

Speak Up: Use your voice to amplify this campaign and say: No more Black Trash Bag Day.

Together, we can end the trauma and start a legacy

of belonging.

Let’s Make Good Things Happen.

Let’s rewrite the future—one child, one family, one YES at a time.

DONATE NOW. BE A HOPEMAKER.

HopeMakers & Bold Ideas: Greg Zlevor's Blueprint for Transformational Leadership #legacybuilding

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4yTuPocvrg