Making It Happen Foundation » Forever Family Friday

Forever Family Friday – Tyquan

April 4, 2022

Happy Friday everyone! And happy April 1st! You know…I sat down with every intent to write my #ForeverFamilyFriday post about April Fool’s but as I started typing the words and looking down at them…I suddenly realized there was no humor to be found in desiring a forever family. It’s no joking matter when it comes to wanting a home and security and happiness. Kids in foster care don’t need pranks and hoaxes…they need stability and love. To no fault of their own they are in undesirable situations. They don’t deserve to be on the receiving end of bad April Fool’s joke, because it is not a joke. It is their reality. We need you to help us because we can not sit back and wait and hope that a family will find these kids. We have to get up and search and move mountains if we have to and find the families. Remember there are no unwanted kids just unfounded families. Tyquan needs us to move mountains! Can you join us in trying?

Tyquan is 15 years old and is from Georgia. He is a sweet, neat, and sometimes a shy teen who loves the outdoors and spending time with family and friends. He enjoys playing video games, football, and dodgeball. He also enjoys playing on a tablet, listening to pop music (Ariana Grande is a favorite artist), and movies. At school, where he earns good grades, he is well-behaved, and gets along well with the other kids, Tyquan’s favorite subject is science. When asked what his perfect day is he said “doing this interview and looking for someone to adopt me.” This breaks my heart. His favorite foods are hot wings, fries and tacos. Tyquan said he wants a family “to love me the way I am, and who will let me go to school and help me graduate.”

Tyquan needs a loving adoptive family who will give him the attention, support, encouragement, structure, and nurturing environment he needs to continue to thrive and reach his goals. He has two sisters who have been planned for separately and he would like to maintain relationship with them. For more information please contact Rebecca at [email protected]. For Tyquan’s video please click here https://americaskidsbelong.org/project/tyquan/

Forever Family Friday – Caprice’ana, Ja’Quone and Ja’Vone

March 30, 2022

The dictionary definition of adoption is the building of family through the process of concentrated, dedicated, enduring love rather than biology. Enduring love is something that so many of us have to offer but are unsure of or afraid to take the step of offering it. Sometimes you have to take the step. You have to get out of your comfort zone and take a risk. Sometimes you have to listen to your heart if it is calling out to you to provide a home for a child. These kids are worth the risk. They deserve to be special to someone. They deserve a family and a home and happiness. They deserve enduring love. Please allow me to introduce you to 3 siblings that are amazing and want nothing more than a forever family. They deserve enduring love.

Caprice’ana (16) and her twin brothers Ja’Qone and Ja’Vone (17) live in Mississippi. Caprice’ana is a friendly and out-going girl who knows her own mind. She loves to sing and dance. She likes school and her favorite subject is math. One day she would like to travel around the world. She would like to have a family that is kind and goes to church together. Ja’Qone considers himself a nice and caring person. He enjoys playing video games, but also likes to play sports, especially basketball. He loves dogs because they love you back and protect you. Twin Ja’Vone says his best trait is that he gets along well with others and has good friends. He enjoys playing basketball and staying active too. He would like to travel one day, and maybe even be a truck driver so he can see a lot of the country. He will not have trouble finding that job! Ideally, Caprice’ana and her brothers will be adopted together. In addition to Ja’vone and Ja’Qone, they have an older brother, Jamie.

Can you open your heart and your home to these siblings? Can someone you know do that? We’d love to hear from you. For more information on these kids please get in touch with [email protected] Or DM us! Thank you!!

#ForeverFamilyFriday

Forever Family Friday – McKaya

March 21, 2022

Provide care and love…Create a stable environment…Build up their self confidence…Spend quality time with them…Share morals, values and have conversations about making good choices…Help them make tough decisions…Help with money management…Coach them up…Empower them to be all that they can be…Teach them to be kind, loving, inspiring and giving to others. Are you asking yourself what in the world is this crazy lady talking about?!?! Well…I was just sitting here watching March Madness basketball games and thinking about my post today and thinking about last night with my own kids…we were calling each other, texting each other and talking about our brackets and the upsets that happened in all the games and then I just started thinking wow just that little moment of fun family interaction is not experienced by most kids in foster care. I then started processing a list in my mind of what providing and parenting is all about to me and how foster kids miss out on so much of that. And to me that is what shapes and molds us as individuals. And that this beautiful young lady that I’m posting today probably has not experienced much of it either. It’s heartbreaking to me. McKaya, to no fault of her own, needs to experience EVERYTHING I listed above and more. Please let me tell you about her!

She is 16 years old and lives in Alabama. She is very inquisitive and fun loving. McKaya’s perfect day would be a fun pool party with swimming and lots of smiles and laughter. After graduation she would like to be a hairstylist. When asked what a family means to her she said someone who “cares, listens, holds hands even when going through something.” With a family she would love to do activities like shopping, getting her nails done and maybe even vacay in Florida. I love all of that. If she had a new room she would decorate it with Hello Kitty. I do love me some Hello Kitty. I think I have found a new friend.

McKaya will thrive in a stable, structured family that will provide her with unconditional love. Can you help? For more information please contact Daliscia at [email protected] Photographed by Stephanie Fisher Photography.

Forever Family Friday – Evan

March 7, 2022

I know everyone has a lot on their plates right now and I hate to keep piling on these request because good grief things in this world are crazy enough. I hate to even turn the TV on because it’s all so heartbreaking. But I need a tiny favor from you. I need you to just share this post with one person. That’s it…Look…I’m not asking you to cook a meal or pay a visit to anyone or make a donation or even make a call. I just need you to help me advocate for these kids. We need them to be seen. We need them to know they are deserving and worthy and valuable. The more we share the post.. the more people will see it and the better the opportunity for someone to look at one of the pictures and feel a tug at their heart. I pray someone looks at Evan’s picture this week and gets that feeling of wanting to support…to protect and to make Evan a part of their family.

Evan is 14 years old and lives in Arizona. He is adventurous and curious and does not shy away from learning new things! He enjoys being active and playing basketball, and loves to learn. Evan enjoys going to the park, playing sports and paintball. Evan’s adventurous side makes him fearless and curious about trying foods from all different cultures. His favorites are sushi, barbecue and Mexican foods. He would like to visit Mongolian Grill for a special occasion. He has a particular interest in Drama class. Evan would benefit from a family that provides unconditional love and boundaries. Every child deserves unconditional love. Can you provide that for Evan? Please share Evan with someone you know! He needs all of us to advocate for him!

For questions and additional information on Evan please contact Heather at [email protected].

Forever Family Friday – Haley

March 4, 2022

Almost one third of the youth who “age out” of foster care become homeless. This is not the first time we’ve discussed this. Homeless…most of us can’t even relate to that. Living on the streets…sleeping in cardboard boxes under bridges or trying to find a homeless shelter every single night…eating out of garbage cans at fast food restaurants…bathing or sponging off in gas station bathrooms…I could go on and on. I’ve witnessed each and everyone of those scenarios more times than I care to remember. And it is literally thrust upon these kids because of no fault of their own. They have little to no stability and love is rare. They just want someone to call family! Someone to be there for them. This is why we need you. I know I bug you guys every Friday but you are our difference makers. We have changed the lives of many of these kids by talking about them and sharing them in our social media. Here’s another amazing human that needs our help. Please meet Haley. She has a few years to go before she ages out, so I am prayerful and hopeful for her! We need to help Haley find her forever family.

Haley is 13 and lives in Tennessee. Bubbly and energetic, Haley wants to be a teacher or a photographer when she grows up. One day she would like to visit Paris and see the Eifel Tower! Me too Haley! She likes playing volleyball and basketball, and has a huge love for dogs and horses. Math is her favorite subject as she finds it easy. Haley enjoys singing, reading and has an interest in cheerleading. Family and friends are some of the things that are most important to her. She describes herself as caring and loving. She cares about people, “even if they don’t care about me.” How heartbreaking is that sentiment. Please, please, please share Haley! For more information please contact americaskidsbelong.org, or DM us!

Forever Family Friday – Jacob

February 18, 2022

Happy #ForeverFamilyFriday everyone. Look at this kid. OMG…That smile melts my heart. You know…There are two things that many of you continually ask me and that is questions about “the process” and “the cost“ of adoption from foster care. I’m so happy that these kids don’t see the questions that I am asked. And the questions are not asked out of anything but a need for knowledge but these kids don’t need anymore uncertainty or insecurity. They need to be reminded they are so worth “the process” of adoption. And yes…it is a process BUT all these kids are worth the process. And as far as the cost… every single kid we post on Friday is far more valuable than any cost that would be associated with adopting them. We can not give up on these kids in foster care. Most of the kids have had enough disappointments, failures and setbacks to last them a life time. We have to remind them that they matter. We need to encourage and uplift them. We need to ensure that they understand that they are worth the process! Please meet Jacob! He’s the one with the beautiful smile. He’s valuable and amazing and because of no fault of his is in foster care.

Jacob is 16 and lives in Alabama. He is a very creative young man who loves to draw. He also enjoys video games and robotics. Jacob has been on a robotics team and often comes up with ideas for inventions! An ideal family he said would be one that loves each other and helps each other out. When asked about his greatest accomplishment he said graduating high school in 2 years! Can you be the family that can help him reach his goal and cross that finish line? If not please share this post with your friends and family. For more info please contact [email protected] at the Alabama Heart Gallery! Thank You ❤️

Forever Family Friday – Nevaya

February 11, 2022

You are loved beyond measure. Love you to the moon and back. Love you more than words. Love you forever and always. Love you to infinity and beyond. Love you the goodest in the whole wide world. I could go on and on. As a parent we each have our own term of endearment that we say to our children and family members each day. I certainly did. To me February is about love and friendship and giving and caring and being the reason someone smiles. It’s about loving one another as God loved us. I so much want that love for these kids that we post each week. We were honored to get to have several of the kids we have posted with us this past week at Disney and oh my … the question I asked myself so many times is why??? Why them??? These kids were awesome and amazing and just wanted to be loved. Is that too much to ask. I feel like I am preaching to the choir. But there was so much affirmation that the time we put into this is time well spent. I am so very thankful for every person that is reading this right now. We need you. These kids need all of us. Please Keep sharing these kids with your friends and ask them to share them with their friends. Share Nevaya! She needs a Forever Family! She needs to be loved and cherished.

Nevaya is a special soul – creative, artistic, strong willed and a sweet individual who is 16 and from Florida. She longs for connection and would blossom with a trusted parent. She loves creating art, working on her iPad and playing board games. Nevaya appreciates simple moments of togetherness, going for ice cream. She dreams of seeing snow! She loves all types of music. Can you help? Please contact Heart Gallery of Tampa at 813-314-2021 or DM us! Thank You! Click here for more info!

VIEW NEVAYA'S WISH LIST

Forever Family Friday – De’Juan

February 4, 2022

Last week I posted Maribel. Man…you all got to chatting! This type of engagement is so needed. Lots of conversations and questions and input. This is wonderful! Yes we desperately want forever families for these kids BUT we value the dialogue, thoughts and suggestions! Please keep the conversations going on and off social media. Talk about these kids in your family discussions, in your groups, at the office, anywhere…just keep talking!!! This is a flawed system and anything we can do to help improve it is awesome! A few things I would like to remind you:

1. It costs nothing to adopt from foster care. Finances continue to be a topic and I can assure you the $30,000+ price tag adopting from foster care is just not true! If you find otherwise please DM me!

2. There is not an official age limit for foster parents or adoptive parents. People in their 70s have adopted children! If you have an open heart and can open your home… you are a candidate!

3. There are great organizations that help but we need more. If you have a heart for children and can’t adopt…considering becoming a CASA volunteer or plug into an organization that is making a difference. That is a great official first step to take.

4. Our foundation resources page has some great starting points.

Here’s someone who needs us! Please meet De’Juan from Arizona! He is an active and sociable 14 year old. In his free time, he likes to play sports, video games, and card games. He especially enjoys playing basketball and football. De’Juan loves sub sandwiches and one of his favorite restaurants is Subway. I need to work on that. De’Juan likes listening to music and likes to rap. When it comes to his personality, De’Juan can be entertaining, outgoing, and funny. De’Juan is a smart kid who enjoys learning new things. He says his favorite subject at school is recess because he gets to play football with his friends. De’Juan would thrive in a family that is loving and could help reinforce positive family dynamics in his life. Ideally, De’Juan’s forever family would be one that could provide him a safe, stable, structured environment with clear expectations. De’Juan wants potential adoptive families to know that he is an animal lover and cares for others. Wow! Sounds like a pretty amazing kid. For more information please contact Heather@[email protected]

Forever Family Friday – Maribel

January 28, 2022

Here’s a NOT so fun fact about “our” foster care system that many of you know but some don’t. And I say our system because it’s not “their” or “my” or “your” foster care system. The problem belongs to “ALL” of us whether we believe it or not. At age 18 the kids in the foster care system just “age out.” The end of their journey in the foster care system. Do we have organizations in place that try to help kids in this situation? Yes! Organization like @ComfortCases are doing a tremendous job. Is it enough? No! Have a few places made arrangements to try to assist kids until they’re 21? A few, but not near enough. 20% of the children who were in the foster care system at some point instantly are homeless. That means one in five kids who are currently “in the system” will be on their own with no family at age 18. One in five! Boom – on their own overnight! Happy 18th Birthday, here are your things in a black garbage bag, best wishes and don’t call us, we’ll call you. Our family has dealt with this situation so many times it would make your head spin and never gets any easier. We think they have the ability to figure it all out and make major life decisions: find a place to live, have food for 3 meals a day, get a job, transportation, open a bank account (which you need an address to do) etc. We’re kidding each other if we think that’s going to happen. My heart aches for kids without a mom or dad, but especially this age group. I think that’s why I’ve been so passionate about older kids in foster care. I know when they are offered hope and opportunity it can change their life. Please allow me to introduce Maribel. She has 4 more years and she then will be included in the statistics and situations that we have just discussed. Her urgency is real!

Maribel is 14 and lives in Florida. She is a little more reserved when you first meet her. She can be shy, but once she opens up, she is one of the sweetest, most caring children you will ever meet. She is smart, does well in school and is described by her friends as funny and nice. Maribel is someone who will always bring a smile to your face and is easy to be around. She wants to be part of a family setting and is very anxious to find her Forever Family. She is strong, resilient and doesn’t let her past define her or hold her back from accomplishing her goals. She has a lot of love to give and wants to share that with parents. And future pets! Let’s help find this young lady a home and ensure that she does not become a statistic.❤For more information please contact Heart Gallery of Tampa at 813-314-2021

Forever Family Friday – Jabari

January 22, 2022

This was an exciting week for Team Tuohy… we learned that one of the children we featured has been matched with her forever family! It’s just positive affirmation that together we can continue to make a difference. It’s multiple exclamation points at the end of the sentence. We are so thrilled and so excited for her!!! I felt three was a good number! And I can imagine in her mind she is now breathing a small sigh of relief that some of her anxiety and uncertainty will be coming to an end. So while we say a prayer of gratitude and take a moment to celebrate, today is Friday and we have to focus on yet another beautiful face wishing for a mom and dad….wishing for a forever family. I know, it’s a roller coaster of emotions. We find a family for one child and oh crap …she’s posting another child. But you guys are so important to this process, to this work we are doing. PLEASE continue. One step forward and two steps back. Hang with me. Please do not give up! And here’s one reason not to quit on me now!

Please meet Jabari. He is 13 and lives in Alabama. Jabari is loving, kind and always has a huge smile on his face. He enjoys playing outside sports and video games. Science is his favorite subject and he enjoys school overall. Pizza and chicken wings are his favorite foods, although he will eat just about everything! His wish for a forever family is one that is nice and helpful. That is NOT a tall list! If you can be that special family for Jabari, or know someone who can, please reach out to Robin at [email protected]

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Category: Forever Family Friday