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The Sarah Pound Chapter (Dripping Springs) of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution announced that Chrystal Smith, founder of Foster Village, is the recipient of its Ellen Hardin Walworth Medal for Patriotism.
This medal is in honor of Ellen Hardin Walworth, one of the four founders of the NSDAR and a prolific historian, author and suffragist. The award, established in 1995, recognizes citizens who have given unselfishly to the community, state, or nation.
Smith said she saw the gaps in the foster care system firsthand as a licensed foster parent. From this, she was inspired to launch the nonprofit organization Foster Village Inc. in Dripping Springs. She set out to create an organization that would meet the immediate needs of families in the child welfare system including diapers, car seats, bedding, clothing and other necessities. Along with meeting practical needs, Foster Village facilitates connecting foster families to each other and providing counseling when needed. Longer term, the organization addresses the root causes and vulnerabilities that created and sustain the system.
Foster Village has served thousands of children and families throughout Central Texas and has been a model replicated nationwide, changing the landscape of child welfare from the ground up.
Smith has often spoken and written about foster care and childhood adversity, serving on multiple committees and advocating throughout the country on issues related to child welfare.
“Her exceptional accomplishments and unwavering empathy, compassion, and commitment to making home a realization for foster parents and children made her an outstanding candidate for this NSDAR Founders Award,” NSDAR said in a statement.
At the Texas Society Daughters of the American Revolution Fall Forum Convention in Austin on Sept. 10, Smith was presented with the medal by the TXDAR State Regent, Marcy Carter-Lovick. An introduction of Chrystal’s accomplishments was given by the Founders Medal State Chair, Jamie Burchfield.
Sarah Pound Chapter Regent Gigi Sanchez, noted that when the chapter first learned about Chrystal’s story, “It became obvious she exceeded the benchmarks for this recognition from the National DAR Society.”
