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 […]
Pack A Purse Drive 2012 Gratitude Read More »
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
Celebrate Womanhood Read More »
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 »
Nikki J. is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur who “grew up” in the foster care system in Ohio. At a very early age, Nikki J. was caring for herself and her four siblings. The instability and lack of proper adult supervision resulted in the children’s placement in foster care before Nikki J.’s seventh birthday. She
Nikki J, Author, Entrepreneur, Foster Care Alumni Read More »
#Fact: The more birthdays a child celebrates in the foster care system, the less likely they are of being adopted. Older children need families too. Foster care statistics according to the AFCARS Report for FY2011 (July 2012): 400,540 in foster care on 9/30/11 252,320 entered foster care during FY2011 104,236 children and youth waiting to
I Am Unable to Adopt or Foster, Now What? Read More »
2012 marks the 6th year for our Annual Pack A Purse Holiday Drive to support teen girls in foster care. Through the generosity of amazing donors, we have collected and donated a total of 951 purses to twenty-five organizations over the past five years. This December we will use our blog as a platform to spread
Seeking Successful Female Foster Care Alumni Read More »
I get many calls and emails from teens and parents who want or need community service hours. I love those calls because I believe we all have something to contribute and we should share our talents to make the world a better place. The Teen Toolbox sponsors two annual service opportunities to raise awareness about
Where Can I Volunteer? Read More »