Fostering Advocates Arizona

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Aging Out of Care: The Beauty

June 12, 2019 by FAAZWebAdmin Leave a Comment

Lori, Mentor and Sora, Young Adult Leadership Board Member

I entered foster care at the age of 15. Like most youth who enter care as a teenager, I bounced around to many placements. As a trans-youth, it was especially hard for me to build connections and find a placement where I would be accepted. DCS struggled to continue to find me new placements. It got so bad that I had to spend my 17th birthday sleeping in an office building because they couldn’t find a placement for me. Fortunately, around this time I entered the THRIVE program and was paired with my mentor, Lori, who provided me with much-needed support to help me as I transitioned out of care.

THRIVE is a mentorship program offered through Arizona’s Children Association. It is designed to provide support to youth ages 16 to 21 who have or will be transitioning out of foster care. THRIVE works with young adults to match them with a mentor based off on their interests.

Lori was not my first mentor in this program. Before her, I was paired with a man who ended up being removed from the THRIVE program because he was not helping the youth who he mentored. When I was told they had a new mentor for me, I was very apprehensive. Like many teens in care, I had trouble trusting that someone was there for me. THRIVE thankfully has a trial period to make it easy for youth to decide that a mentor is or is not a good fit, so I took a leap of faith and met Lori, who has since changed my life.

Lori and I were not the perfect pair when we first met. I thought Lori was loud and obnoxious, and she didn’t understand what it meant to be trans. We disagreed on a lot of things, but we both stuck it out and got through the adjustment period, and she since has become a significant support in my life.

I disrupted from a placement at 17, just a couple months before my 18th birthday. Lori took legal custody over me to make sure I could get back on my feet and has continued to be there for me ever since then. She helps me when I need guidance on things like housing or education, and even if we disagree, I know I always have someone I can reach out to and that Lori will set any disputes aside to be there for me. We celebrate holidays together, Lori and her partner take me out for my birthdays, something I never celebrated while in care, and they treat me like family. Young adults in care may have a lot of support from DCS workers, and other program staff, but we all want that personal relationship that a mentor provides. I am will always be grateful for having Lori in my life to provide just that.

This blog was written by Sora, Young Adult Leadership Board Member for FAAZ. You can read more about Sora here.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Aging Out Tagged With: aging out, Foster Care Mentors, Foster Care Young Adults, Fostering Advocates Arizona, grateful, I Speak Change, Mentors, THRIVE, Thrive Mentor Program, trans, transgender, Young Adult Leadership Board, young adults, youth in foster care

Natalie’s Opportunity Passport™ Match!

August 21, 2017 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Opportunities come and go, but for Natalie Murillo, her recent opportunity has been taking her places. Natalie purchased a 2012 Honda Accord with the support of the Opportunity Passport™ program. Natalie says she is thankful for the help she got because it would have taken her two to three times longer to save the money she needed to buy her car.

Not only did Natalie save money, she now saves time. “Growing up in the system, you are always on someone else’s time; going to work and appointments.” She shared freedom is a luxury that comes with owning a car. “Now, I am able to choose when and where I want to go,” said Natalie.

With her own savings in hand, Natalie was able to double her money through the program’s match savings funds. Ready to make her purchase, she met with Opportunity Passport Coordinator, Gerardo Novoa. She says Gerardo stayed with her through the entire process, from keeping in touch online until she drove off the dealership car lot. She is very thankful for the funds and support she received through the program and recommends anyone looking to purchase a car using Opportunity Passport stay connected to the staff.

“Keep in touch, one simple email,” she said. Although moving around from time to time can be part of life, Natalie highlighted, the support team from the Opportunity Passport™ program is there for you, not matter what the circumstance.

Filed Under: Opportunity Passport, Uncategorized Tagged With: aging out, Asset Program Match for Foster Young Adults, Fostering Advocates Arizona, Opportunity Passport Arizona, Opportunity Passport™, transition out of foster care, young adults, young adults aging out, youth in foster care

Meghan’s Day In The Life Challenge

March 23, 2017 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment


Mission accepted! This month’s Day in the Life challenge is particularly special, as one of our very own advocates, Meghan Arrigo, was nominated to take part in raising greater awareness to the everyday experiences of Arizona youth in foster care. Young Adult Board Member, Desaray Klimenko, challenged Meghan to do all her grocery shopping for the week using the bus as her primary mode of transportation. This is a challenge often experienced by many youth in foster care.

Eating healthy is an important part of my family’s lifestyle. Once a week, we pull out our cookbooks and methodically plan our menu and grocery list for the week. We also hit at least two to three stores a trip so we can get the best sale prices. I knew grocery shopping for the week, on the bus, was not going to be easy, so I enlisted the support of my husband. We coordinated our schedules and choose a Sunday afternoon to ensure we had enough time. We planned our meals accordingly, making sure to only buy exactly what we needed. After researching where to purchase bus tickets and the bus routes, we decided to visit only one grocery store, even if this meant missing out on sale items.

As we set out to walk through our neighborhood to the nearest bus stop, it started to rain. Once we boarded and made it to the store, we worked together as quickly as possible hoping to catch the next hourly bus. Once we finished shopping, we headed out on foot towards the nearest bus stop. Just as we approached the intersection to cross the street, we saw the bus parked loading passengers.  We attempted to run, grocery bags in hand, but we couldn’t cross in time and the bus left without us. While waiting the 30 minutes until the next bus arrived, it started to rain, so we sought shelter under a car wash awning. It took us 2.5 hours to complete our shopping trip; double what it typically takes us in our car and going to multiple stores. I ended up riding my bike to another store midweek to purchase some additional items.

My Day In The Life Challenge underscored how essential a driver’s license and vehicle are in a state like Arizona, and the privileges I have with both. Not just because having a car makes grocery shopping easier, it makes everything easier. It allows me flexibility in employment, assurance I can attend doctors’ appointments and important meetings, connections with friends and family, additional safety in my commute, and a whole host of other advantages and conveniences. Having to ride a bike or rely on the bus as my only form of transportation means something entirely different when it is a choice vs. out of necessity. For young people in foster care, it is critical they have this choice. Prior to leaving care, all young adults 16 and older should be provided driver’s training courses and the opportunity to secure a driving permit or license. It is a critical step in the ability to be self-sufficient. We can’t hold young people to expectations of independence if we don’t provide them the tools and support to do so.”

Now it’s your turn to take the challenge and raise awareness of what “living foster care” is like. Do you accept this mission?

Filed Under: Advocacy, Day in the Life Tagged With: Advocacy, Children's Action Alliance, Foster Care, foster youth, Fostering Advocates Arizona

“Those Three Numbers Say A Lot About You”

May 26, 2016 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

Eliah)Blog

 

They say wisdom comes with age, which rings true for Eliah as he’s realized early on that, “those three numbers say a lot about you.”

The three numbers Eliah is referring to are an individual’s FICO credit score.

“As I have gotten older, and now that I have a family, I have come to realize how important a good credit score is and how it impacts so many things.”

Opportunity Passport™ participant Eliah is going BIG and using his full savings match of $3,000 to build his credit.

“Building my credit is essential as it helps with obtaining and maintaining assets in the future, including getting a low interest loan for a car and a house. Not to mention, employers can pull your credit score so it ultimately impacts your employment.”

Eliah is one of the many young adults in Opportunity Passport™ to apply the savings strategies learned from the program to purchase an approved asset to help with financial stability.

“The Opportunity Passport™ program was VERY helpful for me as it taught me how to budget my money, evaluate my expenses, and to recognize the difference between my ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. It also taught me the importance of saving money for a rainy day in case an emergency happened. It’s not about me anymore it’s about my kids.”

Find out how YOU can “Sponsor A Youth” and help a young adult like Eliah purchase a life changing asset.

Filed Under: Aging Out, Moneywise, Opportunity Passport, Programs, Uncategorized Tagged With: arizona, Children's Action Alliance, financial literacy, foster care youth, Fostering Advocates Arizona, money wise, Opportunity Passport™, youth in foster care

I Speak Change. Youth Speak FAAZ.

April 28, 2016 by FAAZWebII Leave a Comment

ISpeakChangeAdvocacy

The key to making our Initiative great is the talented individuals on the Young Adult Leadership Board. Hear from them on the reasons they joined FAAZ! 

“I love being part of the Young Adult Leadership Board because I enjoy collaborating with my fellow Board Members on new ideas to improve the foster care system.” – Maria

“FAAZ has taught me how to use my voice to advocate for youth who have experienced foster care through workshops, trainings, and public events.” – Adrian

WeSpeakAdvocacy

“By building strong relationships with my peers on the board, I have learned that anything is possible for youth in foster care to overcome, despite the many obstacles we face and will continue to face.”- Stefani

“I love being part of FAAZ because I have learned how to share my story strongly and effectively.”-Amber

Speaking-Change-Action

“I joined FAAZ to pay it forward and help children and youth in foster care, just as individuals helped me get to the postivie place I am at in my life.”- Ben

“Being part of FAAZ has allowed me the opportunity to meet a group of amazing individuals that have become very dear friends of mine. I have also learned so much about policy and the importance of speaking your voice to advocate for change at the state legislature.” -Desaray

“What I love is that we all have different backgrounds and experiences yet we advocate for one reason-to improve outcomes for youth in foster care…..and everyone on the board has huge hearts <3”- Patience

“I like being on the board because I can use my experience to help other young parents who are in school, like myself, because I know firsthand the struggle they face.”- Brittany

“By being part of FAAZ I have gained many skills such as advocacy, public speaking, and leadership. As a board we build each other up and  become one voice to advocate for kids who are or were in our shoes.”- Ashley

I joined the FAAZ Young Adult Leadership Board because I want to be able to improve the child welfare system in Arizona for all of my foster care brothers and sisters across the state that are currently experiencing what I went through.” – Frank

Filed Under: Advocacy, Aging Out, News, Uncategorized Tagged With: Advocacy, Foster Care, Foster Care Aluumni, Fostering Advocates Arizona, I Speak Change, Young Adult Leadership Board, young adults

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