Comfort Kits and Camaraderie Fill ‘I Am Joy’ Program for Youths in Foster Care
By Aldore Collier
When emails and calls went out recently to Color Of Change volunteers to donate time and money to help children in foster care, the response was immediate and heartwarming.
Since 2021, COC members have served more than 1,200 youths and young adults in Houston, Los Angeles and Oakland through Comfort Drops, a series of efforts undertaken with Precious Dreams Foundation to provide them with books by Black authors, toys, journals and other items.
At each Comfort Drop, every child and young adult receives a personal delivery of bedtime comfort items like plush toys, blankets, pillows and journals. They’re able to keep these items, reminding them to self-comfort as they transition through foster care and shifting housing circumstances.
On Dec. 6, COC and Precious Dreams Foundation hosted “I Am Joy,” a luncheon and DJ party in Los Angeles for 50 young adults in foster care. During the festivities, the young people received comfort bags, sneakers and gift cards and enjoyed an afternoon of holiday cheer and camaraderie. They also stood individually and declared who they are in “I Am” affirmations made publicly to the group. It was the second annual holiday event for Los Angeles youths.
At Thanksgiving, a separate “I Am Joy” event was held in Oakland, California, where COC volunteers served Thanksgiving dinner, hosted bingo and giveaways and distributed 150 comfort bags and more than 750 items to youths and young adults experiencing homelessness.
Donations by COC members across the country helped support both events that align with COC’s mission to conduct campaigns that lead to systemic improvements in Black people’s lives. Volunteer service work is an entry point for many COC members to understand the ripple effects of policies that unjustly impact Black people. COC’s work with Precious Dreams has shed light on how policies like cash bail disproportionately impact Black families and force our children into the carceral care system.
According to the Children’s Defense Fund, about 400,000 children and young adults are in foster care in the United States. Black youths are overrepresented in the foster care system. While Black youths make up only 14 percent of the general population, they account for 23 percent of the population in foster care.
Statistics also show that more than 25 percent of youths become homeless within two to four years of aging out of the foster care system at age 18. It can be a turbulent time for young people moving into adulthood.
The work to empower Black children in the foster care system is personal for Destanie Newell, senior regional field manager for Color Of Change’s Movement Building Team. Newell, who is based in Los Angeles, grew up in foster care between Kansas City and Los Angeles from age 2 to 17, when she sought to be emancipated and headed off to college on California’s Central Coast.
“I grew up bouncing between families,” Newell said. “I know what it’s like to be labeled as a ‘problem child’ and a ‘troublemaker’ – to be boxed in by systems that don’t believe in you.”
Wanting to create a space for youths currently in the system to have an uplifting afternoon of joy, inspiration and hope, Newell was happy to take on the project of partnering with Precious Dreams, a nonprofit started 10 years ago to assist children in foster care and those who become homeless. Her director at COC, Shannon Talbert, connected her with Precious Dreams in late 2020. Not only was getting Color Of Change members involved an easy sell, Newell said, the work also coincides with COC’s mission.
“It really is like a full circle when you think about the work Color Of Change leads in creating a less hostile world for Black folks,” Newell said. “We think about all these systems that are oppressing us like the criminal justice system. But people often forget about the children of the criminal justice system. A lot of the impact is in the foster care system.”
Newell hopes to bring attention to that issue.
The relationship between COC and Precious Dreams has not been restricted to the holiday season. Earlier in 2022, more than 250 comfort bags and 750 additional items were presented to teen and young adult mothers in foster care and homeless shelters in Houston and during a “Black to School” program for those staying at Union Rescue Mission in Los Angeles.
To make this holiday season cheery, youngsters were given Target gift cards, concert tickets and Nike sneakers donated by various supporters and partner organizations.
COC members put together the comfort bags —stress-relief balls, pillows, blankets and stuffed animals. Books by Black authors also were included.
“We try to create a bag that is full of coping mechanisms, to give them a space and an outlet to continue to be able to relax, unwind and meditate,” Newell said. “Rest is one of those things that a lot of folks take for granted. But if you’re in a homeless shelter or in your third home, it could be something that you struggle with.”
Newell said the response of COC volunteers has been rewarding.
“More than 30 volunteers came out even during their lunch breaks to help with the bagging sessions for the comfort bags,” Newell said. “Precious Dreams gives us the list of ages of youths. We make sure that the comfort bags and gifts are age appropriate. Our volunteers really make all of this happen.”