Sometimes you may ask or be asked these questions:
· Where did you grow up?
· Who is your team?
· Where did you go to school?
· What do you like to do for fun?
· What do you do for a living?
These are all questions used to understand each other and the communities that we identify with.
When we discuss communities, it can be lost in transition exactly what we mean by this. Our idea of a community in this sense is a group of people working together for the benefit of one another and the group as a whole. Specifically, since we are serving a population of underprivileged teens, we want to have meaningful relationships with community leaders and members that can help us to serve teens in foster care. But communities mean so much more than that, they provide an outlet to connect with others, they encapsulate family, culture, heritage, and overall identity.
For these teens that have experienced hardship and trauma early in their lives, it is important to show the kindness that people are capable of. It allows them to develop a sense of belonging and we hope that it also contributes to building confidence in the pursuit of gaining their autonomy. We hope to show that giving can be a positive addition to being a part of a community.
Children and teens in foster care may never have experienced a sincere sense of welcoming, but they are more than deserving of it, and we would like to show that to them. They are not burdens and they should never feel like they are. And with the help of those around them that want to see them do well, we hope to show them that they are capable of obtaining success and happiness too.
Children that have grown up in hostile environments likely haven’t had the ability to seek resources when they were having a hard time or didn’t know about the options available. But we aim to show them that there are resources and good people all around them and how to connect with them. We want to show them that asking for help is not an indication of weakness, but an act of wisdom. It is okay to ask for help and to seek resources because nobody should have to do it alone.
The importance of a community cannot be understated for them when it is often taken for granted by so many. We rely on grocers, electricians, doctors and healthcare workers, teachers, and many more to help provide us with what we need on a regular basis. We think that it is important to recognize these contributions and show gratefulness by helping to fill the gaps where we can by establishing and growing a strong village full of kind and generous people.
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