Scavenger Hunt for the Kiddos

 

Messages of Encouragement, By Foster Youth For Foster Youth

Love, love, love these messages of encouragement, created during the early Thanksgiving dinners... 

You can click the images below to enlarge them.

Here's a link to more photos.

Ohio's First Youth Ombudsman

It makes my heart incredibly happy that Ohio’s very first Youth Ombudsman, Jenny Stotts, was honored as one of Adoption Network Cleveland’s two 2022 Triad Advocates of the Year. She entered foster care as a baby, was adopted and her adoptive parents still serve as foster parents today. 

She and Assistant Youth Ombudsman Jeff Phillips would love our help in letting youth know about the Youth Ombudsman Office. Ohio foster care youth, alumni and allies first began advocating for a Youth Ombudsman Office in 2018. We met with legislators, gave testimony, and worked with CDF Ohio to build up a coalition.  Let’s continue to spread the word, and let youth know how to contact the office.

2022 Central Ohio Thanksgiving Together

 The 2022 Central Ohio Thanksgiving Together for current and former foster youth took place on Sunday, November 20, 2022 from 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm, at Reynoldsburg High School’s Summit Campus, 8579 Summit Road, Reynoldsburg OH 43068.

This ACTION Ohio event was made possible due to support from Reynoldsburg City Schools, the Leo Club, the Dave Thomas Foundation, the Tzedakah Collective, Beth Tikvah's Sisterhood, Randi Lewis, the Junior League of Columbus, Bethany Workman, Cieria Ramon, Andi Atwood and Cece Norwood. 

Link to more photos.

Remembering Those We Have Lost

 As Vinney Male mentioned during the 2022 SW Ohio Thanksgiving dinner, even as we come together to celebrate our annual Thanksgiving reunions, we also want to remember members of our chosen family - foster care alumni and allies - who are no longer with us: 

2022 SW Ohio Thanksgiving Together

 2022 Southwest Ohio Thanksgiving Together for current and former foster youth took place on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 12:30 – 3:00 pm, at the Emerge Banquet Center, 2960 West Enon Road, Xenia OH 45385.  

This ACTION Ohio event was made possible due to support from local churches, the Emerge Emancipation Program, the Dave Thomas Foundation, My Very Own Blanket, Zachary Super and Midwestern Plumbing Services.

Link to more photos.

She Walks in the Creek Bed

One of my college friends wrote a poem about me for my 21st birthday. She said it captured my personality. I was surprised, because I had never told her that a nearby creek was the one place I felt safe as a child. 

She Walks in the Creek Bed

I looked down into the creek bed and saw her
Her with the flowers in her baskets, that she’d saved from the rocks
Her with the daisies in her eyes, that she’d saved from the current’s knocks

And you can’t see where she’s been brought down
And thrown to the ground
Because the water swallows splashes to keep singing
And so does she

And she’s beautiful, the girl with the flowers in her baskets
She’s beautiful, the girl without anything at all
Not because she walks in the creek bed
But because she’s coming out