Its been Foster Care Awareness Month!

I have been really really busy this month, and I'm quite proud of myself!  Never before have I immersed myself in this month's activities, and to be quite frank I was only planning on doing 2 things.  As you will see below I have done so much more!  A lot of it was being ready to jump right in, and thankfully many opportunities presented themselves as part of the network of organizations and people I have carefully created, supported, endorsed and promoted!

With the sound of a gong, May started with excitement!  All of my Facebook friends and twitter peeps were loud with shouts of, "Its Foster Care Awareness Month!"  I let my friends know that if they were a little unsettled with the amount of foster care stuff that I post, that they might want to consider hiding me from their newsfeed for the month.

It all started with daily "Did you know Posts" on the Pennsylvania Youth Advisory Board Facebook Page.  You can check us out, and follow along as there are still a few days left!  Our Facebook Page and our Website are great ways to keep tabs on what's happening with foster care in Pennsylvania.

I spoke about my experiences being a foster child on May 13th as part of the Pennsylvania State Resource Parent Association's Foster Care Awareness Event in the Harrisburg Capital building.  I got to meet Jimmy Wayne!

On May 17th, I wrote a blog about personal advocacy for " 31 Days, 31 Stories"  You can find my blog along with other stories  Here

May 20th and 21st brought me to Washington DC for a Congressional Shadow Day where I got to shadow Rhode Island Representative Langevin, who is a great advocate for foster children.

My state FCAA chapter did a pre-screening of ABC Family's "The Fosters," on May 25th.  Its a new show about a couple who take in foster children.  It got some great feedback!

The 2nd annual Memorial Day PA Foster Care Alumni of America Family Picnic took place on May 27th where we had 31 people and children in attendance!  I'm so proud of my alumni family, and so proud of my team.

In between each of these events is the not so everyday cool and amazing things I get to do as part of my job.  I train foster care case workers, I sat on the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts Roundtable (such an honor!), and I'm working with a group of YAB Core members to organize and plan a YAB Leadership Summit for June!  I'm really having the time of my life!  :-)

Why do I do the work that I do?  Lately I have been thinking of the things that I had to endure as a child in foster care and the aftermath, but I have also been thinking about all of the things that I didn't have to endure.    They are both of importance.  I want more and more kids in care to endure as little as possible.  I want them to fly to new heights, and I want their stories to be heard.  If I can play a little part in the work that my team(s) are doing I am happy.  Thank you to everyone who has supported me this month, and in the months before and to come.  Its so nice that my work happens to be so much fun!