Back To School Support For Foster Kids

A NONPROFIT GROUP HEADQUARTERED IN FORT MYERS SAYS ON ANY GIVEN DAY IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, MORE THAN 1000 CHILDREN ARE DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF ABUSE, ABANDONMENT OR NEGLECT IN THEIR OWN HOME. THE ORGANIZATION CALLED AND HIS FRIENDS SAYS MANY OF THE CHILDREN WILL BE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM FOR A YEAR OR LONGER. THEY STEP IN TO HELP PROVIDE A SENSE OF NORMALCY IN THE LIVES OF THESE CHILDREN. OFTEN IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS. >> I'M NOW JOINED BY THE CEO OF AND HIS FRIENDS MUST JESSICA. >> KESTNER. >> AND I APPRECIATE YOU COMING TO OUR STUDIO THING TODAY. HAVING ME. >> YES. CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT AND HIS FRIENDS IS BECAUSE IT USED TO HAVE A DIFFERENT IT DID. IT DID. SO WE WERE PREVIOUSLY THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM FOUNDATION. SO SOME PEOPLE STILL KNOW US AS THAT. BUT WE'RE NOT NEW. WE'VE BEEN AROUND SOUTHWEST FLORIDA FOR OVER 40 YEARS. WE RE BRANDED PREVIOUSLY. WE ONLY SERVED ONE SECTION OF CHILDREN THAT WERE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. IF THEY HAD A GUARDIAN AD LITEM VOLUNTEER, WE STARTED ADDING DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT KIDS THAT MAY HAVE NOT HAVE THAT REPRESENTATION OR MAYBE A VULNERABLE FAMILY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP PREVENT THAT CHILD COMING INTO THE SYSTEM AS WE REALLY WANTED A NAME THAT ENCOMPASSED ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO SO WE REBOUNDED IS ABUSED, NEGLECTED, ABANDONED. THOSE ARE ALL OF THE CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE. AND WE'RE DOING MORE THAN WE'VE EVER DOWN SERVING MORE CHILDREN THAN WE'VE EVER DONE. SO WE'RE EXCITED TO KEEP GROWING AND KEEP THAT MOMENTUM UP. AND IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA AND THE CHILDREN THAT WHO SERVE ARE DWELLING WITHIN THE 20TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT. CORRECT? CORRECT YET. SO ALL OF THEM ARE EITHER PLACED HERE. THEY'RE LIVING HERE OR THEIR CASE LIVES HERE. WE HAVE SOME CHILDREN THAT THEY'RE ABUSE HAPPENED HERE, BUT MAYBE THEY'RE PLACED OUT OF THE CIRCUIT. THEY'RE LIVING IN NORTH FLORIDA, WHEREVER THE WEARER DCF CAN FIND THEM A HOME. SO THEY MAY BE WITH AN AUNT OUTSIDE OF OUR AREA. BUT WE'RE STILL SERVING THEM TO. WE DROPPED BEDS AND CLOTHING IN DIFFERENT THINGS. BECAUSE TRADITIONALLY THEY'RE THEY'RE HERE AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. WHAT IS YOUR CORE MISSION? WE ARE ALL ABOUT NORMALCY. WE'RE ALL ABOUT JOY. WE'RE ALL ABOUT HAPPINESS. WE'RE ALL ABOUT HOPE. AND I SAY ALL THE TIME WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE TRAUMA DOES NOT GET THE FINAL SAY FOR THESE CHILDREN. SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED, WHETHER IT'S CLOTHING, ABED, A CAR SEAT IF THEY NEED TUTORING OR IF THEY WANT TO PLAY SOCCER, WE PAY FOR LOTS OF CAPS AND GOWNS. WE PAY FOR PROM DRESSES, HYGIENE PRODUCTS. ALL OF THOSE THINGS AND THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF OUR PROGRAMMING IS ALL ABOUT EXPERIENCING JOY. SO THESE ARE HEARTFELT, HANG OUT ONCE A MONTH, AT LEAST KIDS COMING AND HAVING A MOMENT OF JUST HAPPINESS AND BEING A KID NEXT WEEKEND WILL BE AT HAD PINS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL BASH WILL WILL BRING PROBABLY 400 CHILDREN TO BOWL AND PLAY IN THE ARCADE AND GET OLD NAVY GIFT CARDS TO BUY CLOTHING AND UNIFORMS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES. SO WHAT WE'LL SEE HAPPY KIDS WILL SEE LAUGHING. KIDS WILL SEE KIDS THAT ARE BOWLING AND EATING ALL THE HEALTHY STUFF LIKE PIZZA. AND, YOU KNOW, CHICKEN NUGGETS AND WE'LL SEE SIBLINGS REUNITE, YOU KNOW, HERE IN THE 20TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH SIBLINGS NOT GOING INTO FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS TOGETHER. AND SO WE SEE THESE INCREDIBLE HUGS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, SISTERS THAT HAVE NOT SEEN EACH OTHER AND 6 WEEKS, 8 WEEKS, 6 MONTHS. THEY'RE COMING BACK TOGETHER AT OUR EVENTS. AND SO IT'S ONCE A MONTH WE CAN PROVIDE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL NORMAL FEEL JOY, BE IN PUBLIC WITH ADULTS THAT THEY CAN TRUST AND ALSO MAKING SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM CAN ANSWER THE QUESTION. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN TRAUMA? >> WE DID OUR JOB AND THEY CAN FORGET ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE COURT SYSTEM. EXACT DURING THAT TIME. HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK. I MEAN, NO ONE THERE. THEY'RE NOT DIFFERENT. >> THEY LOOK LIKE THE OTHER KIDS THAT ARE AT THE BOWLING ALLEY. THEY'RE ABLE TO JUST LET LOOSE AND HAVE FUN. THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT FITTING THE LABEL. A FOSTER CHILD. THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, AROUND NEIGHBORS, THE DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE. THEIR LIFE ISN'T UNDER A MICROSCOPE. SO 2 HOURS AT A BOWLING ALLEY THAT MAYBE NOTHING FOR US, BUT IT'S EVERYTHING FOR THEM. >> AND THIS MISSION IS VERY CLOSE TO YOUR HEART PERSONALLY. AND YOU OFFERED A BOOK A TELL US ABOUT THIS NEW PUBLICATION. I DID. SO SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. >> IS REPRESENTATION AND THE CHILDREN THAT WE SERVE AND CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH TRAUMA BEING ABLE TO SEE THEMSELVES REPRESENTED. AND I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THERE WAS A BOOK, A CHILDREN'S BOOK THAT ONE OF THE KIDS COULD OPEN UP AND GO. OH, MY GOSH, THIS PERSON GETS IT. THIS CHARACTER GETS IT. THIS IS NOT A BOOK THAT READS, YOU KNOW, ON IT WAS ENTERING FOSTER CARE AND SHE WAS GOING THROUGH THE SYSTEM. IT IS ABOUT A LITTLE GIRL THAT IS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T FEEL QUITE RIGHT. AND I THINK WE CAN ALL REGARDLESS OF OUR HISTORY AND REGARDLESS OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, IT IDENTIFY WITH THAT FEELING. AND SO SHE'S MOVING ALONG A PATH WHERE SHE'S TRYING TO FIND HOPE. SHE'S TRYING TO FIND CUMBER. SHE'S TRYING TO FIND JOY AND SHE MEETS FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY THAT REMIND HER THAT SHE'S NOT ALONE, THAT SHE IS WORTHY OF JOY AND COMFORT AND HOPE AND ALL OF THESE THINGS AND IT ALL CULMINATES IN A BIG PARTY THAT SHE GETS TO EXPERIENCE AND SHE UNDERSTANDS THAT THINGS DON'T FEEL QUITE RIGHT RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY WELL AND WITH THE HELP OF FRIENDS, SHE CAN GET THERE. AND SO I'M SO EXCITED FOR KIDS TO READ THIS, BUT I'M EXCITED FOR COMMUNITY TO READ IT BECAUSE FRANCIS IN OUR NAME FOR A REASON, EVERY SINGLE PERSON HAS THE POTENTIAL AND ABILITY TO BE A FRIEND TO A VULNERABLE CHILD. AND THIS BOOK SHINES LIGHT ON THAT TO, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO STEP UP AND TO HELP THE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT NEED IT. >> AND I LOVE THAT. YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT THE PROCEEDS FROM THE SALE OF THIS BOOK. >> THEY DON'T GO TO YOU AND I WAVED MY RIGHTS. IT'S ALL GOING ON THIS FRIEND. SO WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE BIRTHDAY CAKES AND MEMORIES AND JOY AND NORMALCY FOR KIDS THROUGH THIS VEHICLE AS A FUNDRAISER. >> IT'S WONDERFUL. AND AS WE GET READY FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND MILESTONES CERTAIN WALLER SUPPORT USHERS. SO BACK TO SCHOOL IS A BIG ONE. I MEAN, THERE'S >> NO SHORTAGE OF PARENTS RIGHT NOW. THAT KNOW HOW EXPENSIVE SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND CLOTHING AND UNIFORMS ARE. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SUPPORTING THESE CHILDREN. WE DO. OUR BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH AT HAD PENS AND THEY ALL OF THE FOSTER CHILDREN. WE SERVE THAT DAY, GET AN OLD NAVY GIFT CARDS. SO WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO THE UNIFORM SCHOOL AND WE NEED THOSE ARE WE JUST HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL CLOSED? WE'RE GETTING THAT THEY'RE THEY GET A STAPLES GIFT CARD AND WE BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY IN CHOICE AND GIVING THESE CHILDREN CHOICE A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU GET WHICH AGAIN, YOU DON'T PITCH A FIT RIGHT IN AND YOU GO INTO A FOSTER HOME AND MAYBE THEY ALREADY HAD A BED WITH BETTING. SO WE'RE BIG ON CHOICE. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THAT GIFT CARD. SO THEY'RE PICKING OUT THEIR OWN CLOTHES. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE STAPLES CARD. SO IF THEY WANT TO PICK A BACKPACK WITH SPIDERMAN ON IT OR IF THEY WANT TO PICK A DANCE SPORT, BACKPACK THEY CAN OR THEY'RE HIGH SCHOOLER THAT NEEDS ONE OF THOSE SUPER HIGH-TECH EXPENSIVE CALCULATORS. WE CAN PUT IT TOWARDS THAT. SO WE'RE GIVING THEM THE TOOLS TO MAKE THE CHOICES TO FILL THE NEED, BUT ALLOW THEM TO FEEL CONFIDENT, PREPARED AS THEY GO INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO THAT'S THE BIG ONE AS WE COME UP. AND THEN BEFORE WE KNOW IT WILL BE HALLOWEEN AND WILL BE GETTING COSTUMES THAT IT'LL BE CHRISTMAS AND WILL BE GETTING GIFTS INTO THE HANDS OF OVER 1200 CHILDREN. WILL. THANK YOU FOR JOINING ANY TODAY. IT'S BEEN GREAT TO ME. YES, THANKS FOR HAVING. YOU KNOW, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU BACK. ABSOLUTELY. THANKS.