![]() He’s very determined to complete the goals he has for himself and will let nothing get in his way.”Ĭhristie Sozio, the Assistant Director of A Place 4 Me noticed Anderson’s leadership ability after his placement into the group home in 2021. ![]() Kayla Schoonover, Anderson’s case worker at DCFS, said Anderson is determined to be a success and to get what he wants in life. He also secured his own apartment, before emancipation. In addition to his community work, Anderson graduated from Frederick Douglass high school this past spring. “I try to make my mother proud with everything I do.” “It was really hard during my earlier teenage years, but would my mother be happy with my decisions,” said Anderson who used the memory of his mother to change his life. ![]() It was at that moment that Anderson realized he wanted to be the person his mother believed he could become. As he moved through the foster care system, feelings of anger and resentment grew and caused him to exhibit some troubling behaviors. With Anderson’s mother no longer able to take care of the family, Anderson became a part of the foster care system. Unbeknownst to Anderson, his mother was silently battling significant health issues that eventually led to her untimely death. He watched his mother make the commitments and sacrifices of any loving parent -go to work, prepare meals, play with him and his siblings, and provide the nurturing and stable home environment all children deserve. While many youths in Anderson’s position would relish the newfound freedoms of adulthood, Anderson is using his independence to make a difference and to honor the sacrifices made for him.Īnderson’s early childhood was filled with family. Casey Foundation’s Youth Leadership Institute. ![]() "I want to make someone’s unfortunate life better,” said Anderson who persevered through multiple foster home placements and group homes to emerge as a childcare advocate and youth homeless prevention advocate at A Place 4 Me and a Jim Casey Fellow at the Annie E. Having recently gained emancipation from the Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Foster Care Program, Chris is determined to effect positive change for youth who are now experiencing many similar adversities. Participants are typically between 14 and 18 years of age.Chris Anderson, a resilient 19-year-old who has weathered numerous storms in his young life, is now using his experiences to provide support and guidance for those in need within our community. Summer programming is 4 days per week, 5 hours per day over six weeks. on Temple’s campus and one Saturday per month for special activities. Participants meet two afternoons per week from 4 p.m. Through this process, youth develop the cognitive, social and civic skills and knowledge necessary to be effective change agents. Our program design achieves this through project based learning that is tied to community issues of importance to the youth that places a heavy emphasis on teamwork and cooperation that reaches out to community organizations as partners and that includes technological and creative arts components. “This was very beneficial for my son, I think you created an environment of real team work and working as a group… No cool kids verses nerds or in-crowds” – ParentĪs the main entry to our Continuum, VOICES seeks to build the individual and collective power of youth to make positive change in their communities. “I ask my son everyday how was school and I just get an ‘ok’, ‘alright’ or grunt… During his second week of VOICES I asked him “How was your day?” and he responded Great! That was the first time I ever heard that.” – Parent ![]()
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