Foster brother, Eagle Scout candidate

transcribed by Gina Hamilton
Coastal Journal staff

It was a big change for me when I had foster siblings.  The beginning of my life was like any other, and then my parents decided to become foster parents.  When the first couple of kids came, they were little.  They were so gloomy when they first came, almost as if they came off the street.  They came in and looked around ... they had  constant frowns on their faces.  I thought they didn’t want to be there.  

After I heard the story about why they were here, I started comparing it to my own life.  My parents got divorced, so there was always a little struggle ... I couldn’t see my dad for a while.  I started thinking about what it must be like not to see either of their parents for ten times as long ... I couldn’t even imagine it.  They left right before Christmas ... my mom wanted to make that holiday special for them.  Social services finally found an aunt and uncle to take them, and that hurt too ... I had gotten close to them.

Then another foster sister moved in.  Now we’re adopting her.  She’s four now.   Now we have two more, Abigail and Gina, one who’s eight and one who’s seven.  They got here on Halloween night. 

A story that my mom told me was that she really wanted little kids, and made a comment that little ones were easier. They minded better.  I remember thinking, “That’s not right.”  Just because as we get older, we are supposed to question more, doesn’t mean we don’t need a family.  Everything you do after a while gets old.  If my mom only wants little ones, how many foster families think the same thing? 

I was working on ideas for my community service for Eagle Scout, and was thinking about foster kids and the holidays. That’s when my mother told me that there are a lot of teens in the system who aren’t even put up for adoption.  So I said, “That’s who I’ll do it for.”

And there were a lot of programs for little ones, but none for teens.  So I decided to help teens have a nicer holiday.
Susan Hughes of the Department of Health and Human Services sent me a list of 140 teens in foster care ... they’re not the only ones ... it’s just part of the list ... of the kids who are under the care of the Portland DHHS. When she heard I was trying to do this for the teens, she sounded dumbfounded.  She couldn’t believe I was taking it on.   

I’ve been moving forward by baby steps and little leaps ... an $80 donation from one family.  A $100 donation from another family.  My relatives pitched in.  Four towns over somebody else ending up hearing about it, and sent a check for $200. 
I have to say I’ve been disappointed with the businesses’ reactions.  Some have given, but most businesses will do almost nothing.  They tell me, “call this person, no, call that extension, no, call this person.” “We might be able to, we’ll get back to you.”  And they never call back.  Often times, we ask about putting a box in an employee room or just ask to put a poster up, and many say no.

That’s not everyone, of course.  Some let us put boxes in, and others donated some money and services for us, and we’re really grateful for that.  Burger King has been great, and now the rest of the employees are getting involved.  But we need a lot more help to make this holiday bright for all these kids, and they really deserve it.  If anyone wants to help out, please call me at 721-9986.