In Alabama, hundreds of young people face adulthood each year without the stability of a permanent home.

For many foster youth, the day they “age out” of care marks not a new beginning but an uncertain future — one filled with obstacles few 19-year-olds are equipped to face alone.

Erica Hardesty has made it her life’s work to change that story.

As the founder and executive director of Make It Matter: The Collective, a Huntsville-based nonprofit, Hardesty has dedicated her career to helping foster teens transition from state care into adulthood with confidence, purpose, and a network of support. Her vision is rooted in one belief — that every child deserves to know they matter and to have the tools to build a meaningful life.

Hardesty’s passion for foster youth began long before the fou

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