New Beginnings

Today is March 1, and that means Spring can't be that far away! I learned this morning that Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday, March 14, AND I saw jonquils blooming yesterday. Now, I know that I could never be so lucky as to think we won't have any more crummy weather. But, by the time March gets here, I feel like there is at least light at the end of the tunnel. Sun is shining today, and that is ALWAYS good news.

We associate Spring with new beginnings, new life, hope. My father always has a bunch of new foals in the Spring, hibernating animals venture forth with their new families, rivers swell with melting ice, grass grows, leaves turn green, flowers bloom.....the earth wakes up. What a burst of life!

And speaking of new beginnings and a new life, I just heard from one of our case managers that she is moving to Austin to work with foster kids who are aging out of the care of the Department of Family and Protective Services. She is a former foster youth herself and has an incredibly deep passion to help these aging-out teens know what services are available to them as they transition from the care of the state to being on their own.

Did you know that foster teens are eligible for tuition waivers for college? Or that they are supposed to get a transition allowance? Or that they can stay in care as long as they are in school if they want to? Or, that they can go back into care once they have aged out if they find they aren't making it on their own? Most foster teens have no idea that these services are available to them. There are a myriad of reasons for this, but Courtney, our case manager, knows EVERY service for which they are eligible.

Although her moving to Austin is a real loss for us, she is living her dream and will have such a meaningful impact on the lives of young people in the foster care system. She came to see me today to thank me for the opportunity to work with our teens at Promise House. I think we are the lucky ones. With her heart and passion for this work, she will go far.

What a thrill it is for me to see our young employees progress through their careers. Even though Promise House is many times the first stop on their ladder to success, watching them gain experience, confidence, and expertise here that they will carry with them throughout their careers is well worth it.

Like many of our teens, our young employees may move on from Promise House; but they carry us in their hearts forever. I'm not quite sure why, but it is VERY hard to ever really leave PH.

There are always endings before beginnings. The end of winter brings spring. The end of service at Promise House brings a new opportunity, the opening of a new door. Another young professional will join the Promise House family, and life at PH goes on. And.....spring is almost here!

Holiday Thanks

I have sooooo many people and organizations to thank for their incredible generosity of time and dollars to make this holiday season special for our teens. So here goes:

• David Ross and his wife and huge dog for totally entertaining our teens on Thanksgiving Day
• Mike Scott and his wife, Ashley, and their friends for hosting a holiday party tomorrow for our shelter teens
• The Promise House Professionals for hosting a holiday party last Saturday and bringing gifts for 21 young transitional living women and their children
• Joyce Mazero and her daughter, Dom, for their contribution of winter coats and hosting a movie and popcorn night for the shelter teens
• Mountain View College for their upcoming annual holiday dinner and gift exchange with the girls and babies of Wesley Inn
• Jesuit High School for their food drive for our street outreach program
• Debi Moses for organizing the board of directors to host a holiday party for our shelter teens
• Angela Choquette for hosting a holiday party for her friends and donating proceeds from a trunk show to PH
• Kessler Park United Methodist Church for hosting a holiday party for our Wesley Inn girls
• Junior League of Dallas for hosting a slumber party for the Wesley Inn girls
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Plano Youth Group for hosting a holiday party for the shelter teens
• Carver Heights Church for donating blankets and toiletries for the girls at Wesley Inn
• Women of Sacrifice and Obedience for conducting clothing and food drives for PH
• First Presbyterian, Forney for blankets
• The Perfect Light for dressing up Wesley Inn with outdoor lights
• Greenhill School for collecting bath items and toiletries for Wesley Inn and our street outreach program
• Anytime Fitness, Oak Cliff for collecting clothing
• Mattel for donating toys for our babies and toddlers
• Amica Insurance for collecting items for our STAR wish list clients
• Dallas Chapter of Charms for hosting a holiday party for Wesley Inn
• Akita Group for donating clothing and food
• Dick Patrick Studios for food drive
• Fiserv for donating blankets for our street outreach program
• Dots Fashion for donating accessories from their store
• Delta Sigma Theta - TWU for hosting a holiday party for the shelter teens
• CC5 for their donation of Target and Walmart gift cards for Wesley Inn mothers
• Supreme Lending Mortgage for raffling a big screen TV and donating proceeds to PH
• The Promise House Development team for picking a STAR family to provide Christmas for

Whew! And I'm sure I have not gotten everyone. New donations and contributions are coming in daily. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who has opened their heart and their wallets to give ALL of the teens and their family members at Promise House an outstanding 2009 holiday.

WE LOVE YOU!