Guest Speaker – Kim Bigler

Kim is the founder of James Samaritan, a 501c3 nonprofit that provides a resource and relationship support system for youth in transition, especially for those ages 14-24 who are in the foster care system and who have aged out. Her journey started in Los Angeles in 2010 after learning the needs of foster children go unmet due to the critical lack of funding from an overburdened child welfare system. In 2015, Kim felt a call to return home to Louisiana to start the same work of creating support systems through community engagement for our most at-risk youth population. She is dedicated to improving the access to the social capital and opportunities at-risk youth need to thrive.

Since returning, Kim’s impact has been recognized through awards such as the Angel Awards presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation of Louisiana, the Angel in Adoption Award by the Louisiana Institute of Children and Families, the Linda Christmas Award from the Together We Can Conference, and she has been a guest speaker at First Lady Edward’s Louisiana Fosters Summit held at the Governor’s Mansion as well as a guest writer on the First Lady’s Louisiana First Foundation blog 

Although Kim is a graduate of LSU with a BA in Communications, she credits being a former youth pastor, missionary, and student at Fuller Theological Seminary for cultivating a strong spiritual center needed to serve well in her community – believing that faith truly empowers and hope changes lives.