By Sara McCarthy
Signal Staff Writer
With students going back to school, many are gearing up for the new school year with new supplies, backpacks and clothes. However, for the over 60,000 kids in the foster care system in California, it can be difficult to receive these necessities each year.
Tidings for Teens, a nonprofit organization aimed at providing support and empowerment for foster care youth, hosted its 10th annual Old Navy shopping event recently, providing clothing for over 175 kids in the foster care systems of the Santa Clarita Valley, Palmdale and Lancaster.
The shopping event took place July 28, after hours at the Old Navy in Stevenson Ranch.
Tidings for Teens first held its shopping event with Old Navy in 2014, in partnership with L.A. County Department of Children and Family Services’ Santa Clarita office. But in the past two years, the nonprofit has expanded its partnership to DCFS Palmdale and Lancaster as well, reaching more foster care youth in need of supplies.
Kelly Meena, Tidings for Teens co-founder, said their drive to expand came from hearing of a large need for support in the Antelope Valley foster care system.
“There is a very great need out there [Palmdale and Lancaster] for kids, and there are really some kids out there that just have very little,” said Meena. “In Santa Clarita, some kids are in relative care, but the needs in the Antelope Valley are very great.”
Each foster youth was given $125 to spend at Old Navy for clothing. Social workers from the Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster DCFS offices refer the youth and families in most need of the supplies to participate in the event.
Over 40 volunteers participated in helping provide for the event, including adult volunteer shoppers who are each partnered with a foster youth to help them shop.
Tidings for Teens raised thousands for the event, allowing the organization to provide not only clothing to foster youth, but also food, a face paint station and even an ice cream truck.
Sarah and Sophia Hermida are two sisters in foster care who both participated in the shopping event. With four other siblings at home, they said that opportunities like these are so important in allowing them to continue their education at CSUN.
“A lot of foster youth don’t get the chance to go to college,” said Sarah. “I feel like this gives us the opportunity to grow and not worry about the essentials.”
With the shopping event continuing to expand every year, the Hermida sisters encourage any foster youth to learn about their opportunities to receive support, just like the support they received from Tidings for Teens.
“There’s so many kids who don’t know this stuff is out there, and stuff like this could be a deciding factor for them if they are able to go pursue a career — it’s just really helpful,” said Sophia.
For more information on Tidings for Teens and to volunteer or donate, visit tidingsforteens.org or contact Tidings for Teens at [email protected] or 661-600-9412.
