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When Saint Joan Looks Like a Foster Child

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When a young budding actress who has lived most of her life in foster care sees St. Joan on Broadway starring Condola Rashad and says “Oh!  She looks like me! I could do that!” it gives us another reason for urgency to have full representation in entertainment!Not only was Ms. Rashad brilliant but she was kind and generous with her time after the show.

waiting for autograph

getting autograph

gondola rashad supporting a dream

I’m going to keep this young actress’ name private here but some day you will see her in the arts, either on stage or behind the scenes.

believing the dream

She went to see Ms. Rashad perform twice with two different FYD mentors because it is rare that we see people who represent our #fostercare population in such a unique and inspiring way on Broadway. Thank you, Ms. Rashad from all of us at Foster Your Dream! 🙂  A wonderful time was had by all! 🙂

Foster kids go places in 2018

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WE HAD SUCH A GREAT YEAR WE DIDN’T POST MUCH!

The winter took us to BAM film festival where we had 3 large groups of children and their caregivers enjoy awesome films!  

We applied for Corcoran Cares Grant in the winter and we got word in the summer that we will RECEIVE it in 2019! Thank you for Wendy Stark for helping us through the process.  

We took large groups to Teknopolis …  …. Dance Africa ….  (our children are not in these photos as we are not allowed to use them on our website!  The photos you see on our website we take and cover their faces, or show others around them at an event, or get photos from the events themselves! This is just another reason our population is so invisible.  It is considered illegal to use their likeness because their parents have not approved it and they are under 18 and are wards of the state. In other words the state is their parent and they will not approve them being used on the web. It is considered exploitation.  So we do our best! News organizations do have exceptions…which is why the more news coverage #FOSTERCARE can get .. the better!) We also sent one emancipated student to a Cherry Lane theatre acting class! A small but powerful dream come true! THANKS for squeezing us in Reed!  🙂

This was just our first half of the year!  Stay tuned for our second half.

 

SUE WOLF SPEAKS UP FOR FOSTER KIDS AT SIGNATURE THEATRE EVENT

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Wow … Foster Your Dream was invited to speak at a panel event at the Signature Theatre called “Who’s Your Neighbor!”   We each represented a group that does good work in the community!  We were very proud to tell our stories and shine a bright spotlight on our amazing Foster Kid population. We made some good friends at the Broadway Advocacy Coalition and had a large meeting at their invitation this year.  Making connections is key to infuse energy in to our world-changing ideas!  We also met several new volunteers who will be bringing music and SAT tutoring to some of our foster kid clients!  🙂  We thank Colleen Hughes,  Signature Theatre and The Ghost Light Project for starting something in 2017 that is bearing fruit in 2018 and 2019!

Toy Drive

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TOY DRIVE was huge success!  We collected 3 times as many toys as 2017!

In December we said:  TOY DRIVE 2018 is in full swing!

You can donate new toys for any ages at the lobby of 36 west 44th Street, between 6th Ave and 5th Ave….or the Signature Theatre on 42nd street between 10th Avenue and 9th Avenue.

New and unwrapped.  Any age group.  Let’s make this the biggest one yet!  Last year we got a letter from the commissioner:

We bring the toys to the ACS Children’s Center where all ages go when they get pulled out of their homes.  The Center houses them until a proper foster family can be found.  This can be days or weeks or months.  Our mission with the toys is to give them a few minutes of happiness while they chose a toy to bring with them to their new foster home.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Rubinstein Family Fund

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IN HONOR OF ARTHUR B RUBINSTEIN, THE FAMILY HAS CREATED THE RUBINSTEIN FAMILY FUND. 




Exposing Classical Music to children of all ages and backgrounds was Arthur’s passion.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to a special fund to honor him by clicking the donate button above on this page!

All funds will be used to support Music and Arts experiences for at-risk youth in Los Angeles and New York City. The thrill of a first concert or a first broadway musical is something that always stays with a young person. Exposure to musical education could spark another composer. Your gift of music via The Rubinstein Family Fund will be magical. Thank you.

 

Brooklyn Youth Chorus Wows FYD

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Long gone are the stand-in-one-place-and-sing days.  The Brooklyn Youth Chorus really wowed Foster Your Dream’s kids.  So much so that the group-home that came for the first performance, inspired a second group to come listen!  The young chorus and orchestra sung and played their hearts out and were theatrical, also.

There was choreography.  There were visuals.  There was harmony.  There was diversity.  There was a connection.  Everything that music and art can do for the soul.