December 2012 was a month of pride and enlightenment at The Teen Toolbox. We hosted our 6th Annual PACK A PURSE™ Drive and collected and distributed 705 purses and other bags filled with personal hygiene items to teen girls in foster care in 17 organizations. We were also greatly inspired by the seven women […]
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Latrice Ware was born and raised in Ohio. She was in kinship care until age 12 and then went into the foster care system at age 13 after her grandmother had a stroke. Latrice was placed in three foster homes. Latrice questioned how a stranger could love a child that wasn’t theirs. Her foster mother’s
Latrice Ware, Mentor, Advocate, Foster Care Alumni Read More »
SPOTLIGHT Teen of the Month Jordan W. December 2012 Jordan W. is a 19 year old college freshman attending McNeese State University in Louisiana on a Division I basketball scholarship. Jordan began playing basketball during his sophomore year in high school. Basketball has given him a goal to strive for and a more
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Helen Hall Ramaglia is an author, Foster/Adoptive Mother, Speaker and Advocate for kids in foster care. She is Founder and Executive Director of Fostering SuperStars, a nonprofit organization designed to enrich the lives of children placed in foster care by serving as a primary connector to organizations, partnerships and providers to meet many of their needs
Helen Hall Ramaglia, Author, Foster/Adopt Mother, Foster Care Alumni Read More »
MERRY CHRISTMAS!! THANK YOU!! A grand total of 705 purses (tote bags, duffle bags, and other gift bags) were collected and distributed to 17 organizations for JaMai and The Teen Toolbox’s 6th Annual Pack A Purse Drive. Recipients: The Children’s Home in Catonsville Sarah’s House RICA, Baltimore Anne Arundel County Partnership for Youth and
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Shalita O’Neale is a former foster youth from Baltimore, Maryland and Founder & Executive Director of Maryland Foster Youth Resource Center. She entered kinship care at 2 years old and entered foster care officially at the age of 13. After several placements Shalita later ended up in a group home before going away to college. She
Shalita O’Neale, Trail Blazer, Advocate, and Foster Care Alumni Read More »
Shay Olivarria is a financial education speaker, former newspaper columnist, former foster youth and author of All My Mistakes: Money lessons for emancipating youth, 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money and Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook. She teaches personal finance to youth in foster care through her
Shay Olivarria, Financial Education Speaker, Author and Foster Care Alumni Read More »
As we host our 6th Annual PACK A PURSE™ Drive in to collect and distribute purses filled with personal hygiene items to teen girls in foster care this December 2012, we will also use the Teen Toolbox blog as a platform to spread inspiration and hope by highlighting the triumphs of successful women foster care
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Kea Theroux is a social worker who supports a national extension of the foster care system past age 18 for those who want to remain in care. Kea advocates from her own experience after she disclosed years of neglect which resulted in her spending the ages of 16-19 in the Louisiana foster care system. She
Kea Theroux, Foster Care Alumni, CASA Volunteer, and Social Worker Read More »
Humbly answering the call to inspire and uplift our nation’s foster children, Capri Cruz shares her life story with Nicki Sanders, The Teen Toolbox Founder. Looking at her life today, you would never guess the humble beginnings of this motivational speaker and two-time author. Capri Cruz began her life in the projects of New York City
Capri Cruz, Author, Speaker, Foster Care Alumni and Activist Read More »