The Elephant in the Room

Gary, the president of OCJ Kids, comes into the office this morning from a breakfast about adoption.  At this breakfast  they are told that there are over 11,000 children in foster care her in Arizona, of this 11,000 children there are 350 children ready for adoption.   Did you catch that 350 of 11,000 are ready to be adopted. I think it is great to to get these kids a family to call their own, but what about the other 10,750 kids still in foster care. What happens to them?

Yes there are Foster Families who take some of these children in, but the number of foster families are dwindling here in Arizona.  So what happens to these 10, 750 kids that are not able to be adopted?
They get put into group homes (mini orphanages).  A house located in neighborhoods just like yours.  They are put with about 9 other kids around their age, with a house manager, an assistant manager and an overnight staff.   If they have siblings, depending on their age they may get to live with them, or they may be split up depending on space available.  So who helps with their home work?  Who asks them about their day?  Who helps them dream for the future?  Who helps them fight for their future?  What can be done with this Elephant in the Room?  This 10,750 kids without the opportunity of a loving family, at this time.

OCJ Kids has provided individuals the opportunity to be that person who can give hope to an orphan of the living.  It's as easy as a visit once a week to once a month.
Recently, one of the girls I have visited over the past 2 years, came to speak at one of our events.  To hear in her words the impact of a weekly visit had on her touch my heart.  To know that these young people have someone who is willing to come see them and cares about them means a lot to them.  They may not show it all the time but hope grows with the smallest of kindness and caring.

Just this past week, we went to a shelter and did makeovers and a photo shoot with the teen girls there.  One of the girls, we were told, has a tendency to growl and hiss at people and sometimes tries to bite them.  I know that can seem scary, but to me I think what must have happened to her that she acts this way.
the  exciting thing about this story is this young lady did not growl, did not hiss, did not bite, but allowed college students to do her hair and makeup then showed us her beautiful smile as we took her picture.

If you are not able  to foster or adopt a child so in need of a loving family, then you can be that person who visits them where they live, that person who gives them hope, that person who shows them they are special enough to be loved.

If you would like to get involved please contact us at OCJ Kids at info@ocjkids.org and we will get you connected to change a young persons life.

Calling all Heroes

The last time we were here, I told you about the pizza parties we had the privilege to share with some amazing young people with lots of dreams.  With the Back to School Party slowly fading into the past we want to help these kids remember their dreams and help them start reaching for them.  We at OCJ Kids accomplish that thru our volunteers and Life Coaches that meet with the young people on a regular basis.

I am in the process of reading a book called "Orphans of the Living" by Jennifer Toth.  This is a hard book to read as you walk with kids as they walk thru the foster care system.  Seeing the affects of abuse they have suffered and how easy it is to stop dreaming and just live to survive.  Then I think about the girls I work with every week and it makes me wonder what happened to them to bring them to were they are at now in their lives.  Whatever the reason for them being where they are, it is my mission in life to help them find their dreams and be a tool to help them achieve those dreams. 

But I am one person, and I am glad to say that OCJ Kids has a group of volunteers that are going into the homes on a regular basis, helping foster kids reach for their dreams.  One area where we need more committed volunteers is in our Life Coaches.  We have a small handful of caring adults who have been trained and have been connected with a young person. these Life Coaches are committed to these young people to help them walk thru the transition of aging out of the foster care system into independent living.  These are my true HEROES!!

OCJ Kids is currently looking for more Heroes, Life Coaches.  We have young people aging out of the foster care system on a daily basis, most of them with out the support structure they need to succeed.  Will you be a hero for one of these young adults?  Will you be a mentor to some kids who are hurting?

I am looking for 2 men, who will be a mentor to 2 young men who desperately need a strong male role model in their lives.  Is that you? 

To help you get started OCJ Kids has a 101 Volunteer Orientation coming up on Oct 29th at our offices from 9am to 1pm.  We also have a 102 Life Coach Training on Oct 29th from 3pm to 5pm at the same location.

If you are interested please RSVP to shevaun@ocjkids.org and we will get you registered.

Thank you to all of my Heroes out there, you are greatly appreciated.  Keep up the great work!!

Until next time,

Shevaun

A Time of Celebration





The beginnings of Dreams...



One of the things I enjoy about what I do is getting the opportunity to celebrate with the group homes we are connected with.  We have five homes who were chosen as the top five for the Dream Board Competition at our recent Tools 4 Success Back to School Party. The winners receive a pizza pater at Peter Piper Pizza for pizza and games.

On Sept 14th, Tammie and Gary had the pleasure on celebrating with one of the winning homes.  They all had a great time.  Even better, they were able to join in a birthday celebration for one of the girls.  I love it when things like this happen!
This past week I had that opportunity to host a teen girls home .  We were joined by a group of volunteers from Family Life Church, who are getting connected with this girls home. So the ladies had an opportunity to meet the girls and the house manager had the opportunity to meet the ladies.  Everyone had a great time.  One of the girls turned to me and said "Thank you for getting us out of the house.  This is so much fun and a lot better than what we would have been doing, nothing"

OCJ Kids has two more parties scheduled and one we are waiting to schedule.  Can't wait!

How do you celebrate with those you love?  What are somethings you celebrate?  I would love to hear the small and big events that you celebrate with the ones you love.

CPS Squeeze

I remember when the stats for the number of children in foster care were in the 9,000's for Arizona.  I thought that was bad, then Gary, OCJ Kids' President and Founder, comes into the office and informs us that there over 10,000 children in the foster care system in Arizona.  Well, just today I read an article on AZCentral.com and the new number of children in Foster Care as of June, 2011 there are now 11,082 children in foster care.  
The article "CPS Squeeze: More Children in need, Fewer Foster Homes" help to reinforce what we at OCJ Kids have been seeing in the agencies we are connected with.  Group homes filled to capacity and in some cases over full, babies coming into the homes at two days old, and all this leads to tension in the homes.

Just this past week, I had the wonderful opportunity to introduce a new volunteer to a teen girls home out in Tempe.  It was very exciting!!  We played Uno and got to know each other, then in the middle of the game, one of the young ladies had enough of the personality of another young lady in the house.  What happened next could have turned out worse if it wasn't for the staff on duty at the time, she handled the situation beautifully.  There was almost a fight at the house that night.  I think one of the great things that happened that night was that the volunteer was not scared away.  She is going back to continue working with these girls.  To help build up their self esteem and develop life skills as they prepare to enter the real world. 

The need is great right now here in Arizona for foster parents and volunteers to work with these young people, who are obviously hurting on the inside to be so angry on the outside. 

Will you be one who helps these young people?  Will you help OCJ Kids reach out to this lost and hurting generation that are being passed around from place to place?

These kids NEED YOU!  Check out our website http://www.ocjkids.org/ to find out how you can help.

Take action today!  Get involved!

Looking Back

I have been looking back and have realized that I have been going to this particular home of young women, every week, for a year and a half now.  I have had the opportunity to speak into the lives of 13 young ladies and 19 young ones during this time.  It is amazing how fast time goes by.  In a year and a half there have been 32+ kids come thru this one house.  Some stay a few years until the age out, some are there for just a few weeks, some get transferred to other group homes for one reason or another.
These 13 young ladies, with their babies, have left an impression in my heart. Some I have maintained communication with as they have aged out of the system.  Some I can not find or do not have a way to communicate with.  They all have their stories and all are unique and special.  I can't wait to hear about the great things they do.
I hear from the staff at the house that the girls look forward to my coming.  They get their chores done so they can participate in whatever we do that night.  It doesn't matter what we do, color, play games, exercise, paint, create, talk, watch a movie, swim, carve pumpkins, decorate for the holidays, and the list goes on.  They just know I care enough to come and so they look forward to it.

What difference can you make?  What do you have to offer? Let me know I would love to hear.

Is She Here Yet?

This past Monday, I was going to the same group home that I have been going to for over 2 years now. The girls have changed several times, as they age out of the system or get moved to a different house, or they leave.

But this Monday, I was reminded that my visits are important to those who are in the house.
They don't care what we do they just like that I come. It is something they can count on.

On this Monday, I arrive at the house a minute late and I ring the doorbell. On the other side I hear, "Shevaun is that you?", then "she's here" in anticipation.
As the door opens and I go thru the formalities of signing in, the girls share with me that "Sally" has been waiting and looking out the window waiting for me to arrive.
They have been waiting! They have no idea what we will be doing, but they are waiting.
Waiting for someone who cares for them. Who is there. "Sally" has only been in the house for 3 weeks and she already knows that I will be there!

These young people need more of us to stand up and just be there. We don't have to have all the answers, we just need to be there. Will you be one who can be there?

Want more information on how you can make a difference in a young persons life? contact me at shevaun@offcampusjams.org