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Are You Feeling a Random Act of Kindness Today?
Derrick is a 19 year old student in culinary school. His father died in prison and his mother abandoned him. He was bounced around in foster care for most of his life. At one point he was adopted only to be given back. In spite of it all he has maintained a positive outlook on life.
I began working with Derrick several years ago as his Guardian ad litem, which is an organization where volunteers act as the voice for abused and neglected children. A few years ago my husband began mentoring Derrick and encouraging him to finish his school and get training for a career which Derrick did and is doing exceptionally well in school.
He purchased his own car and has been working jobs. Unfortunately, he had several traffic violations which he neglected to take care of. During this time. he was unaware that because of this his license was suspended. His car has been impounded and in order to get it out he needs $3,000 and $500 to reinstate his car insurance. He was afraid to tell us thinking we would be disappointed in him so the wrecker fees piled up.
Derrick has since paid his traffic obligations and has his license reinstated. Unfortunately his car is scheduled to be auctioned on November 12th, 2014 if the wrecker is not paid for the impound fees, towing charges and per day charges. Derrick has made his first 7 payments on his first ever car loan to the credit union and needs his car for school and employment. He is very distraught over the grave possibility of losing his car and still owing the credit union for the deficit.
He has already worked out a bus schedule to school, however needs to have transportation to continue school and be able to work his new full time job.
We feel with everything he has been through he is at a crossroads and hope through the grace of strangers we can raise enough money for him to have a fresh start. This has been a learning experience for him not only in life, also in his finances as what little he had saved was wasted on traffic violation fines to get his license restored.
He literally does not have anyone but us and you; imagine if you didn't have a parent or parents when you grew up to guide you. For most of us, the things we take for granted now as adults came from a stable upbringing. When you are bounced around from home to home, with no parents and no real guidence, they suffer a trauma each time and it delays their maturity levels.
I know what many people, friends and our families may think, "hey he got himself into this situation, get himself out". A few short years ago both Michael and I would have felt the same. (for those of you that know Michael, you already knew that) However, after receiving extensive training, these are the kids that need us to help in anyway we can. Derrick is doing everything he can, however still need our helping hands.
How serious is this? There is nothing worse for anyone than losing hope. For kids like Derrick the odds are stacked against him, yet he is doing excellent.
- So what happens to foster youth who emancipate
(age-out) from the foster care system?
- 65% emancipate without a place to live
- Less than 3% go to college
- 51% are unemployed
- In any given year, foster children compromise less than 0.3% of the state's population, and yet 40% of persons living in homeless shelters are former foster children.
A similarly disproportionate percentage of the nation's prison population is comprised of former foster youth.
Help us help Derrick stay the course and become a success story to be shared with others. Derrick is always so grateful for the guidance we have given him and talks about paying it forward in the future to others who have gone through or are going through what he has endured. He doesn't talk about it and shockingly does not have a "victim" mentality about his childhood.
Recently he became part of SkillsUSA and was selected to attend a weekend summit on leadership. Through his performance at the leadership summit he was selected and received a scholorhip to attend the State SkillsUSA leadership conference April 26-29th 2015. Let's pull together and help Derrick put his leadership skills to work now that he is back by helping him get his transportation back.
For anyone concerned about the authenticy of this campaign, please feel free to verify my credentials as a volunteer with the Guardian ad litem program for over 7 years by contacting the Orange County Legal Aid Society at [phone redacted].
You can also check online at the Florida Bar:
http://www.floridabar.org/names.nsf/MESearchDK?OpenForm
Derrick is a 19 year old student in culinary school. His father died in prison and his mother abandoned him. He was bounced around in foster care for most of his life. At one point he was adopted only to be given back. In spite of it all he has maintained a positive outlook on life.
I began working with Derrick several years ago as his Guardian ad litem, which is an organization where volunteers act as the voice for abused and neglected children. A few years ago my husband began mentoring Derrick and encouraging him to finish his school and get training for a career which Derrick did and is doing exceptionally well in school.
He purchased his own car and has been working jobs. Unfortunately, he had several traffic violations which he neglected to take care of. During this time. he was unaware that because of this his license was suspended. His car has been impounded and in order to get it out he needs $3,000 and $500 to reinstate his car insurance. He was afraid to tell us thinking we would be disappointed in him so the wrecker fees piled up.
Derrick has since paid his traffic obligations and has his license reinstated. Unfortunately his car is scheduled to be auctioned on November 12th, 2014 if the wrecker is not paid for the impound fees, towing charges and per day charges. Derrick has made his first 7 payments on his first ever car loan to the credit union and needs his car for school and employment. He is very distraught over the grave possibility of losing his car and still owing the credit union for the deficit.
He has already worked out a bus schedule to school, however needs to have transportation to continue school and be able to work his new full time job.
We feel with everything he has been through he is at a crossroads and hope through the grace of strangers we can raise enough money for him to have a fresh start. This has been a learning experience for him not only in life, also in his finances as what little he had saved was wasted on traffic violation fines to get his license restored.
He literally does not have anyone but us and you; imagine if you didn't have a parent or parents when you grew up to guide you. For most of us, the things we take for granted now as adults came from a stable upbringing. When you are bounced around from home to home, with no parents and no real guidence, they suffer a trauma each time and it delays their maturity levels.
I know what many people, friends and our families may think, "hey he got himself into this situation, get himself out". A few short years ago both Michael and I would have felt the same. (for those of you that know Michael, you already knew that) However, after receiving extensive training, these are the kids that need us to help in anyway we can. Derrick is doing everything he can, however still need our helping hands.
How serious is this? There is nothing worse for anyone than losing hope. For kids like Derrick the odds are stacked against him, yet he is doing excellent.
- So what happens to foster youth who emancipate
(age-out) from the foster care system?
- 65% emancipate without a place to live
- Less than 3% go to college
- 51% are unemployed
- In any given year, foster children compromise less than 0.3% of the state's population, and yet 40% of persons living in homeless shelters are former foster children.
A similarly disproportionate percentage of the nation's prison population is comprised of former foster youth.
Help us help Derrick stay the course and become a success story to be shared with others. Derrick is always so grateful for the guidance we have given him and talks about paying it forward in the future to others who have gone through or are going through what he has endured. He doesn't talk about it and shockingly does not have a "victim" mentality about his childhood.
Recently he became part of SkillsUSA and was selected to attend a weekend summit on leadership. Through his performance at the leadership summit he was selected and received a scholorhip to attend the State SkillsUSA leadership conference April 26-29th 2015. Let's pull together and help Derrick put his leadership skills to work now that he is back by helping him get his transportation back.
For anyone concerned about the authenticy of this campaign, please feel free to verify my credentials as a volunteer with the Guardian ad litem program for over 7 years by contacting the Orange County Legal Aid Society at [phone redacted].
You can also check online at the Florida Bar:
http://www.floridabar.org/names.nsf/MESearchDK?OpenForm