Bandon Conference

Hey guys I'm back!!! Hope you missed me because I have LOTS to talk about. Last week a couple of us went to a conference in Bandon, Oregon and it was really great. It was a smaller crowd, not that many people as the Oregon Teen Conference but awesome all the same.

We left early Tuesday and got there around 5 and were a bit late. The day were only meeting with the adults, CASA workers, foster parents etc. We put on the workshop Getting Solid for them. Getting Solid is all about how foster youths can find permanence in their lives, and how they can make their own. We had to tweak it a bit to present it an adult audience. Then we did a transition panel for them, which is a panel in which they get to ask the All Stars any questions they may want ask of us. They range from very silly, like whats our favorite foods to very serious questions about our foster care experiences. You could really tell that the adults were really moved by us and our stories. One woman, Kay wanted to help us get funding and she deiced to stay the night so she could come see us the next day even though she was suppose to leave to go home. She was that inspired by us. It was a great feeling.

The next day we were with the youths and we started the day with the activity, Independent City. Even though it was a smaller area to work with and a smaller group of youths, it was fun all the same. We then had lunch and after we put on the workshop Foster to Famous which highlights how some really famous people like Alonzo Mourning, Cher, Eleanor Roosevelt and so many were former foster youths and their personal journey in life. We did Getting Solid again but more from a youth perspective and then we did transition panel. For dinner we had a bonfire on the beach and roasted hot dogs which was a first for me because I'm a city girl, New Yorker for life. But I loved it. We also made smores! But as usual, I digress.

I feel that I really connected with the youth at this conference. Most of them were male, lets say 90 percent and the age range was a little younger, 14-17. I was pleasantly surprised at how well we were received by the males in the group. They totally ate up everything we did and really seemed to be enjoying themselves. From past history, it usually takes males a little longer to warm up to us, especially teenagers. They sometimes have this attitude that they are too cool for this but not at Bandon. They were engaging in the activities and really seemed to get why we put them on. During the discussions they had great input and really shared some personal storied of their own.

There was a moment when I was saying that in journey to become foster to famous, I was the success part because I graduated college and that was success for me, however i wasn't at the give back part. I started to say i was on my way there but one youth, named David interjected and say "But you're doing it right now, you're giving back to us". To say that I was moved would not justify it, I was teary eyed, it was sooo sweet and genuine. And I thought, I do it for this, so that some youths can be touched by what we do. I went to this conference hoping that the youths will learn from us but it was I who learned from them.

Though it leaves me emotional sometimes, I gotta say that I love what I do.

Peace for now