Tag Archives: Foster Your Dream

Master Harold and a Little Girl

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Master Harold and The Boys at The Signature Theatre provided an amazing opportunity for one of our clients to bring her foster family and some of her extended church group ‘village’ to see a play which provided a long post-show discussion about race and feelings about race.

Wow, right?  Some in the group had never been to a play like this but our little client set a shining example of how to absorb a heavy theme like this and then express “sad feelings” about racism during a discussion in the lobby afterwards.

Then we got lucky and Sahr Ngaujah stopped to take pictures with all!

Once again, Colleen Hughes and The Signature Theatre has our deepest gratitude!

Surprise Gift From a Celebrity

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When you least expect it, a friend of Foster Your Dream and a celebrity to boot, thinks of us and reaches out by sending a surprise gift of books to one of our clients. This is what Mavis Leno did!  As usual, we can not show you the face of our super happy recipient but the books displayed above came to the home of our client all the way from a bookstore in England!  What a delight.

Included in the package was a handwritten note from Ms. Leno explaining that these were her favorite books when she was a child and she wanted our special girl to enjoy them as well.

This generous kindness, with a special personal touch from someone who has a very public profile, made a great memory for one of our children.

It may seem like a small detail but by making a foster child feel special and worthy, a donor like Ms. Leno can boost the pride of a young person in being a foster child. I have seen over and over again how an opportunity like theatre or books that can be shared with an entire foster family, can increase the confidence of a child that their placement in the home is welcome and secure.

Bravo and our deepest thanks to the kindest of benefactors, Ms. Mavis Leno!

Foster Your Dream to be a Writer

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Robert reading poetry at 13th Floor Storytellers Event

When Foster Your Dream saw Robert Williams perform at a 13th Floor Storytellers event, we were blown away with his talent and what he had to say about being in the foster system.  So when Ben Brandstein had a writing class that we thought might be a good match for Robert, we reached out to offer him a scholarship.

Robert has dreams of becoming a screen writer and his voice is very powerful. We continue to try to foster his dream to become a writer.

Thank you to Ben for sharing your expertise.

Ben Brandstein at Poetry In Motion Event

Thank you to Molly Miles for introducing us to Robert!

Robert Williams Molly Miles courtesy of !3th Floor Storytellers

Vietgone and Manhattan Theatre Club Hosts FYD

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Thanks to Joanna Lee and Manhattan Theatre Club we were invited to a performance of “VIETGONE” by Qui Nguyen.  This young playwright proved to be super current especially since he is currently writing for Marvel Comics!

Since the language was not for youngsters we invited the caregivers and their extended family to see the show as a night out without the children!  It was a super special treat and something that the family experienced for the first time at this wonderful theatre.

Many times theatre is for grown-ups…but we send out a plea to all theatre owners and producers to send us tickets!  We have so many foster families and caregivers that simply need a night out but have no extra funds to pay for it.  They LOVE the theatre.  It is safe.  Friendly.  Interesting.  Festive.  Celebratory.  Fun.

Thanks to all who made this happen.  The Play was awesome and exciting and beautiful to look at!

FYD teams up with Signature Theatre for Toy Drive

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Toy Drive for Foster Kids Spearheaded by Theatre Group

TOY DRIVE!

Foster Your Dream teams up with Signature Theatre in New York City for a Holiday Toy Drive that will continue to give all year long! For several years, foster children, foster families, and group homes have been invited to see live shows in this exciting theatre complex near Times Square. With the holidays approaching, the staff decided to do a Toy Drive for their favorite patrons … Dream Kids from Foster Your Dream!/

What’s unique about this Holiday Toy Drive is that it will last beyond the holidays. Donated toys will be brought from the Theatre to the Children’s Center in New York City. The Center is where children who are removed from their homes … often in the middle of the night … must go if there are no foster families available to take them in. Often these children are in crisis, even traumatized. The toys collected will be available for the child when he or she arrives at the center. FYD founder Sue Wolf says “We hope that choosing a toy and taking it to their foster home will provide a joyful distraction and some warm comfort to the children we are so passionate about serving!”

Ms. Wolf continues, “Foster Your Dream aims to provide extras such as prom dresses, theatre trips, tuition for dance class and karate lessons, to name a few. There are over half a million children in foster care, and we’d love to make a dream come true for each of them. With the help of such generous partners as Signature Theatre, we are one step closer to making that a reality.”

If you would like to donate, please bring a new, unwrapped toy to The Pershing Square Signature Center, 480 W 42nd Street during the designated donation hours from now until December 18!
DONATION HOURS BEFORE EVERY SHOW!

DONATION REQUIREMENTS

Signature is accepting new, unwrapped, any ages toys. Signature will not accept clothing or donations that are used, perishable, or dangerous.

http://www.signaturetheatre.org/shows-and-events/Now-at-the-Center/Foster-Your-Dream-Toy-Drive.aspx

Theatre Builders Camp for Dream Kid

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Summer 2016 brings one of our Dream Kids to a very special 5 day camp at Riverside Church.

theatre-builders-group

What joy at the end of a 5 day 9-5 theatre camp.

Prep in Pink Sparkles

Prep in Pink Sparkles

Kids arrive …  and the wonderful teacher, Madeline Bender (who is an opera star!) guides the group to write, rehearse and perform a mini-musical!

Pizza Party Rehearsal

Pizza Party Rehearsal

Our client invited me in to an after-camp theatre pizza party where we watched and video taped our client doling out parts to her extended family … many who were visiting from out of town!  As usual, we can not show her face but the family was AMAZING and we all played parts in a sketch called ”The Real Store”.  One of our clients relatives noticed that the sketch was actually ‘real deep’ … which it totally was.  The kids had come up with a concept where children went to a store and asked for “rock candy” and literally got ROCKS for candy.  A request for “gummy worms” got them REAL worms.  The moral of the story?  BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR!  Deep, right?

What a great learning experience for these children.  Then after each sketch the children sang a wonderful song that super-sillified their sketches.

Rehearse Hands Down

Perform Hands Down

 

Rehearse Hands On Hips

Perform Hands On Hips

Rehearse on Point!

Perform on Point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the end of an enriching and super fun time new friendships were made and unique experiences were had by all.

Goodbye Campers

Goodbye Campers

We hug Ms. Bender goodbye and dream of next year!

Hugging Ms. Bender

Hugging Ms. Bender

Special thanks to our sponsors Mady Julian, Richard Kendall and John Dempsey and to the family of our client who took time and energy to make this all happen seamlessly and with great joy and love! You are all heroes to our mission of providing enriching experiences and dreams come true for our wonderful children and families. July 2016.