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Two pals began a Fontana-based company to assist foster youth.
Myra Hernandez and Lakeisha Hohl developed a friendship working collectively at a foster household company. Each ladies have expertise working with kids with disabilities, years of expertise as social employees, and grasp’s levels in psychology. Collectively, they determined to take the leap to open S&L Foster Household Company to serve their group.
Based mostly out of Fontana, the group launched in September 2021, however the official contract approval course of in San Bernardino County took time. The ladies quickly realized there can be a protracted await assets to certify households and match foster kids with loving houses. Within the interim, they’ve determined to assist and serve the place they’ll.
S&L Foster Household Company started its My Bedding Undertaking and Rejoice Me Undertaking in February 2002 and has since served 182 foster youth. The My Bedding venture offers kids and younger individuals with a personalized comforter set that features a ornamental merchandise, books, a mattress protector and a pillow. For lots of the youth served by this program, that is the primary time they’ve been capable of personalize their residing house.
“When these children are given the chance to decide on and beautify their room and maintain these items as their very own, it is empowering,” Corridor mentioned. “Step one is to fulfill them the place they’re, and from there we are able to begin constructing them.”
The Rejoice Me venture celebrates milestones for younger individuals by marking moments equivalent to birthdays and graduations. This consists of celebrating youth growing older out of the foster care system. Not too long ago, the group held a commencement occasion for one in all its younger individuals who graduated from California State in San Bernardino.
For Corridor and Hernandez, it is vital that youth growing older out of the foster care system have the talents they should thrive. Many younger individuals the group has met by its different two applications have benefited from free, one-on-one, instructional and profession steerage.
“One of many coolest issues is that now we have younger individuals who have contacted us and simply come to the workplace simply to speak to us,” Hernandez mentioned. “We did not count on to create a relationship with our youngsters.”
As soon as the group receives the contract to match San Bernardino County useful resource households and foster kids, the company plans to proceed the applications it has created. The ladies named the group after two members of the family who died in 2021, Sandra and Louis, who impressed their life-style. It was their acts of kindness and assist that made the founders give again to the youth.
“This complete yr and a half, Lakeisha and I’ve gone and not using a paycheck,” Hernandez mentioned. “There’s such a necessity and our coronary heart is right here. We now have discovered a lot about the right way to stretch each greenback. That was nice intelligence.”
S&L Foster Household Company just lately acquired a grant from Youth Grantmakers by the Inland Empire Neighborhood Basis. The group welcomes grants and donations to help in its work for foster youth who’ve aged out of the system and for providers past contract funds.
“I want extra individuals in the neighborhood knew that serving is not nearly giving in type and simply in the course of the holidays,” Corridor mentioned. “There’s a want for consistency. These children want people who find themselves keen to not surrender on them when life will get powerful and goes by highs and lows.”
Data: Click on right here or sandlfosterfamilyagency@gmail.com
The Inland Empire Neighborhood Basis works to strengthen the Inland Empire of Southern California by philanthropy.
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