Grant and Jesus met in 2016 through Kidsave’s Weekend Miracles program. Two years later Grant adopted Jesus. “We met pre-pandemic,” says Grant, “and it was an immediate connection.” Their bond has only grown with each passing year.
Two years ago, Jesus was in his second year of college with dreams of someday competing in the Olympics. We caught up with Grant to get an update on Jesus and hear about his college journey and the challenges he faced during COVID.
When Jesus was in high school, college was not a dream that felt attainable. After all, only 3-4% of former kids in foster care graduate from a four-year university. “For a lot of the kids growing up in foster care, college feels like an unrealistic goal,” says Grant. Despite that being the case, Grant’s confidence in Jesus was unwavering. “He was interested in enlisting in the military, which is an honorable profession,” says Grant. “However, I wanted him to open his horizons and let him know that he had other options.”
After his placement with Grant, Jesus worked hard to get caught up on his high school credits and joined his school’s track, cross country and football teams. “He’d been moved around so much, been to so many schools, that he was behind in the classes needed to get into college,” says Grant. “But he was dedicated.” Jesus took summer school classes, and joining the sports teams helped him maintain the discipline necessary to succeed. “He got plenty of help from his high school coaches and teammates,” says Grant. By the time Jesus was ready to graduate, he had new dreams for himself: to graduate college and to train to qualify for the Olympics.
“当耶稣是第一次要求在跑道上茶m, he was one of the fastest runners on his football team and the track coach took notice,” says Grant. “At first, Jesus said ‘oh, no, no, I don’t want to run; but now he loves it so much, he wants to qualify for the Olympic team.” Grant is passionate about supporting all of Jesus’ dreams, and this is no exception. As much as Grant believes in Jesus, he’s also inspired by his son’s determination and grit.
As Jesus was preparing to enter college, the pair faced some new challenges and fears. “At first, he was really hesitant about moving out and living in the dorms, and he wanted to go to a college just down the road,” says Grant. But, thinking of strengthening his son’s sense of self, Grant made a wise suggestion. “I wanted to push him to go a little farther, not too far, where he’d feel alone, but far enough so he could live on campus and gain more independence.” Together, they decided on Cal State LA.
The decision was a bit nerve-wracking for Jesus, who was only a few years into his newfound stability with his dad. But, before long, he was thriving. “He’d call me and come visit on occasion the first year. He was spreading his wings and getting out of the kiddie pool, into the adult pool… and then COVID hit,” Grant says. By now, we’re all familiar with the many ways in which COVID has impacted lives. For Jesus, it put a pause on his typical college experience, but it also changed his NCAA eligibility schedule.
“Because of COVID, he didn’t have his freshman and sophomore year of track,” says Grant. Due to COVID, Jesus completed his freshman spring semester and entire sophomore year of college from home, but that didn’t deter his dreams.
When Cal State LA welcomed students back to the campus, Jesus went right back to the track field. “You get four years of eligibility with the NCAA, the governing body of all college sports,” said Grant. “Jesus’ junior and senior year will now count for years one and two in track.” After he graduates in May 2023, Jesus will still have two years' eligibility with the NCAA, so he is looking to continue his college education and pursue a master’s degree, while still competing at the colligate level in track. Completing graduate school is a great accomplishment for anyone, but for a young man who grew up in foster care, it is nothing short of amazing.
And, after qualifying and competing at the Division II NCAA National Track Championships last spring, Jesus and his teammates ended up placing 9th in the entire nation in the 4×400 relay. Like Grant, we are so proud of all Jesus has already accomplished, and we can’t wait to see what his future holds.
Links:
Despite the blazing Texas heat, seventeen kids in foster care in the Houston area met seventeen families considering forming a meaningful, long-lasting relationship including adoption through Kidsave’s Weekend Miracles Houston event!
For manykids in foster care, their life has been full of sudden changes, heartbreaking goodbyes, and starting over. This can create feelings of loneliness and abandonment, feelings we want to help eliminate.
At Houston’s event, it was raining burritos and avocados as everyone played, “Throw-Throw” -- a dodgeball/food fight/card game that lets you pelt others with soft toys shaped like food items. And yes, it is as fun as it sounds – and a great icebreaker! Some families and kids were shy initially, but that shyness melted away quickly in all the fun. There were some competitive spirits, but everyone made peace over pizza afterwards.
Growing up in foster care, kids can feel forgotten. At these events, Kidsave always try to help them feel special. One way is by celebrating their’ birthdays and giving them a unique birthday cake. At this event, we had two birthdays – Skyler celebrated his 15th birthday, and Tracy celebrated her 13th. We all gathered around to sing them the happy birthday song, gift them with a special cake, and help them experience a wonderful feeling of joy and inclusiveness.
New friendships started to form and blossom, and the seeds are now sown for these children to begin to trust adults again and open up to the idea that they are loveable and deserving of a caring family.
Links:
For kids in government care, aging out can be a nightmare. It means being thrown out into the world without a solid support system and with limited resources. An overwhelming number of kids who age out find themselves homeless. This was a big fear for Charles, age 16.
Then he met Larry. Larry wanted to adopt for a while and had been a foster parent. He was interested in mentorship since he'd often been placed in leadership roles growing up. “I didn’t run, but I was voted Vice President of my Little League,” he says. His desire to help younger people has continued and he always dreamed of adopting.
查尔斯和拉里在Kidsave事件在7月2日021 and instantly bonded over a love of nature. Larry has a background in law enforcement and military—two career paths that fascinated Charles. Larry was happy to answer Charles’ many questions about Army life.
从7月到2021年9月,他们遇到了夏娃ry weekend. They went fishing, hunting, and hiking, and had mid-week Zoom calls. Through these visits, they were able to get to know each other. Then in September, Charles left foster care behind and moved in with Larry.
Charles' life immediately changed for the better. He began laughing more, performing better in school, and working to pursue his dream of joining the Army. He began ROTC training to become an officer, and he says he couldn’t be happier.
Charles’ adoption was finalized on April 1st, 2022—Charles’ birthday! “I can finally put the past behind me and start all over again,” he said. When thinking of other kids in foster care, he gets a bit emotional. “Just never give up,” he says, “it may take time and seem hopeless, but there’s a family waiting for you.”
Like any parent, Larry wants Charles to soar despite turbulence. Larry added, “I do know it’s going to take time, especially since his childhood experience was unusual, but I hope one day he’s completely independent So what if we’re a little later than others. We’re still taking the journey.”
At the adoption, a Kidsave staff member said, “You could see the joy on Charles’ face when the judge announced him with his new last name!.”
At 17 years old, Charles is finally home.
Links:
“Nothing’s better than watching a kid’s face light up when they begin making connections at our events.” That’s what Natalie, one of Kidsave’s adult volunteers, said at Kidsave’s annual holiday party for foster youth in Los Angeles.It's a day filled with food, arts and crafts and games plus many opportunities to connect with caring adults.
“I think the children recognize a sense of normalcy," she added. "Here they get a chance to laugh, to talk, to hang out with other children that are in their situation. They recognize that they’re completely accepted for who they are. Watching the kids run around and connect with people who could become their forever family is fantastic. It feels especially terrific during the holidays, as these kids will likely not have heartwarming family time over the next few weeks.”
Another volunteer, Sherri, said, “they’re meeting some wonderful, positive mentors and people that are interested in potentially adopting. It’s such a great way for older children in the system to meet positive influences and people that care about them.”
This party was extra special for the children because it included an extra memorable treat for the kids. A Kidsave Board member enlisted her family’s company to prepare personalized gift bags for all kids who came to the event. “We selected, purchased, and wrapped gifts for the kids, and these gifts are highly curated to exactly what their Christmas wishes were,” she said. “It’s really important that we let kids know that we see them as individuals, we care about them and what they want, and that we went out of our way to give them something they would think was special.”
As the event cane to a close, kids lined up with giant stockings and received their gifts. They were surprised and delighted when they opened their presents to see gifts that had been chosen specifically according to their wishes.
包装礼物是一回事——有趣的和及时的。但the permanent gift of a loving family is the very best gift and the gift that truly keeps on giving for a whole lifetime.
Links:
Each step can bring a child in foster care closer to their forever family.
Here's some tangible proof! Older children and teens in Los Angeles County foster care got a chance to hike at the beautiful Kenneth Hahn state recreation area on a perfect day last Saturday. They also met people who support their desire for a life-long connection to a stable, loving family, parent or mentor. It was more than a hike. It was a chance for matches to be made between children and potential hosts—caring adults who commit to serving as a support system champion, and who could become their adoptive parents. At least four of these children met people who were a "match" -- adults they want to get to know better!
“Hike with your heart” is an annual event that brings together kids in the Los Angeles County foster care system and adults with open hearts who want to get to know them. It’s also a kind of family reunion – with families who have gotten to know and adopted children through Kidsave’s program over the years. It’s a day to relax, play outdoors, hike at a park with spectacular views of Los Angeles and feel the warmth and potential connection of new friends as they get to know each other during a leisurely hike.
Kidsave’s Weekend Miracles program has brought people together for decades now, and in the process created families. The ripple effect was evident at this hike, where families who have already connected with kids laugh and play with kids and prospective parents and mentor who seek those connections. The camaraderie is vibrant and catching! Here, a great breakfast and lunch, and the chance to be outdoors in a warm and loving environment is fun and filling it has another advantage for the kids in foster care. They all get to return home with their choice of a pair or trendy new sneakers and backpacks!
This year, for the first time, Kidsave also held a nationwide hike a week earlier, so that friends everywhere could participate, form their own teams and raise funds and friends for Kidsave’s work. They hiked in local parks or just their own neighborhood. They all connected virtually for an hour during the hike using an app that enabled them to upload photos and chat – almost like being in person.
Foster youth deserve and need the love and guidance of a stable, responsible and committed adult to help them succeed in life and feel hope in their future. Kidsave is working to help more kids growing up alone to make those connections and find the love and hope that is missing in their young lives.
Photos by Amanda Iyana Michaels
Links:
Project Reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you will get an e-mail when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports via e-mail without donating.
We'll only email you new reports and updates about this project.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser
Make a monthly donation & get
