Foster*A*Life is a 501 (c) (3) agency that was established in 2004.  The mission of Foster*A*Life (IRS # 20-1336607) is to provide services and opportunities to children involved with Children’s Protective Services in the Lubbock, Texas area.  These children have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse and / or neglect.  The special dreams and experiences provided by Foster*A*Life allow these children to feel important and to help improve their self-esteem. Because of Foster*A*Life, children have been able to participate on a sports team, take dancing lessons, go on a school band trip to Disneyland, have a birthday party, get a prom dress and so much more.
 
For more information go to fosteralife.org

These children have experienced physical abuse, sexual abuse and / or neglect.  The special dreams and experiences provided by Foster*A*Life allow these children to feel important and to help improve their self-esteem.

Benefiting Foster A Life

Gary Roland & The Landsharks Band have been involved with The Foster *A* Life Organization for 18 years. After seeing the incredible work and positive impact Dr. Keel has made in the lives of countless foster children, he knew immediately his relationship with Foster *A* Life would be a life long one. Gary's personal connection with this charity runs deep. He adopted his daughter, who came into his life first as his foster child at six years old. She has been his greatest inspiration to continue his involvement with foster children. Gary's daughter is all grown up and recently graduated from University of Central Florida, in Orlando. A portion of the proceeds from The Landsharks Cruise will be donated to Foster *A* Life to help further their work with foster children!
* We will also have a raffle!

FOSTER*A*LIFE HISTORY

 

"I hate my life because I have no family.  No one cares about me, and I have to do things for myself.  Now I have to live with people I don't even know."  Samuel wrote these thoughts because he felt so alone and felt no one in the world cared about him.  Just imagine what it would be like to live every day of your life in an environment of abuse and neglect - where your basic needs were not provided - where you lived in fear of being hit - where you wondered what tomorrow might bring, even if there would be a tomorrow. Fortunately, most of us do not ever have this experience, but it is a harsh reality for some children in the Lubbock area.

 

Foster*A*Life was the idea of psychologist, Dr. Shaun H. Keel, who has spent over 30 years working with foster children on a regular basis. In working with thousands of these children, it has been heart breaking to hear these children cry about losing their families.  Of course, they also are distressed about the abuse or neglect they suffered.  There are often comments from these children about not having things in life that most children want to have and what many children take for granted such as being able to play on a summer baseball team, have a birthday party or just shop at the mall.  As a mother, Dr. Keel always wanted to do more than she was able to do through her practice of psychology.  Therefore, she created Foster*A*Life so that these "forgotten" children of the Lubbock area could have special dreams to help them feel important and to help improve their self-esteem.  With the help of her friends and family, Foster*A*Life was established and the agency quickly began fulfilling foster children's dreams.  The first brainstorming meetings were held in Spring 2004 and Foster*A*Life was incorporated by June 2004.

There is a system in place to help these children be taken out of the cycle of abuse, but resources can only be stretched so far.  Because of these limited resources, Foster*A*Life (IRS # 20-1336607) was organized to helped foster children and / or children involved with CPS to obtain services and opportunities they would not have if not for your generosity.  Foster*A*Life helps foster children or any child involved with Children’s Protective Services (CPS).  FAL provides these services to children in Lubbock County and the 17 surrounding counties to have a dream come true or to receive special services.  Prom dresses, playing on a baseball team, going to sports camps and taking gymnastic lessons have all been possible!  Our organization is growing as are the needs of these “forgotten children”.  A major program is “JOURNEY GEAR”, that provides suitcases that will help move the children’s possessions so that trash bags do not have to be used.  We feel these children deserve some dignity during this trying time.  Another project is the “HAPPY BIRTHDAY PROGRAM”.  We found that many of these children do not have anyone to make them feel special on their important day so Foster*A*Life will provide this celebration for a child nominated by the caseworker.  A great program is “KIDS ART JOURNEY”.  The mission of the “KIDS ART JOURNEY” project is to promote the arts to these children and to “discover” talent that can be nurtured.  An art contest allows the children to draw whatever they want.  Some of the pieces were displayed at the First Friday Art Trail in June 2022 and we will have fantastic masterpieces!  Another program is “PROM EXPO” that provides the prom necessities including dresses, accessories and shoes for such a special night!  Progress has been made with our major project. It is the “ANCHORS” project, which is a specialized program to help children to adjust to being in foster care and to promote more foster placements in this area.  Another program is “PRESTON’S PURPOSE”.   Preston represents all the foster children whose lives were cut short and never had time to find their purpose in life.  This project will provide funds for former foster youth to pursue their education. Our latest program, “HOPE CHEST”, provides basic household needs for children who have graduated from high school such as a microwave, dishes, bedding, etc. 
2022 is Foster*A*Life’s 18th year to provide services to these very special children!

FOSTER CHILDREN’S COMMENTS

 

Jacqueline, Age 15 – Children would be better off if they understood exactly why they’re

in care. Some want to go back home, I think they’re crazy.

 

Jimmy, Age 5 – “I just know that foster care will be the best thing that ever happened to

us”.

Desi, Age 7 – definition of adoption “It means you’re going to go to another house where

somebody wants you”.

 

Devon, Age 3 - In relation to the foster home, he stated, “That’s a safe place. I like a safe

place. I wanted her to be a good mommy and she is”. He was referring to his foster

mother.

Kyra, Age 15 - When asked what she would like to tell her father, Kyra stated, “I would

ask him why he chose beer instead of his own children. Ask him why, he couldn’t take

care of his own responsibilities and have someone else do it. Why does he care about

other girls instead of his own daughters? And why did he have to be my dad”.

At that point, the examiner asked Kyra how these experiences with her parents have

helped her and she stated, “Never to do drugs. They make you crazy”. She also stated,

“When I went to the shelter I realized I wasn’t worthless”. She added, “When I lived

with my dad, I learned not to drink because he keeps on drinking”. She feels she learned

better parenting skills because she now knows what not to do as a parent. She also has

learned not to drink and drive and she reported that her father would be very drunk, but

would drive her as well as one of her friends. She told of a time when he was driving

while drunk and he was speeding. She saw a police officer and she was hopeful the

police officer would stop the father, but the police officer did not see them.

 

Sibling group victims of physical abuse including punching in face – “Following the

removal, the children repeatedly thanked the workers for “helping” them, and expressed

relief and feelings of safety having been removed. At one point, the children were sitting

around a table eating dinner, and Araseli stated they should say a prayer. The children

went around praying for what they were thankful for, and Avory stated, “God, thank you

for these people who have helped us”.

 

One little boy (Age 6) responded well to the foster mother kissing him goodnight. He

reported that his parents never had time to kiss him goodnight and he asked for another

kiss. The foster mother told him that we need to make sure the parents know he wants a

kiss. After a visit, he told the foster mother, “They still don’t have time to give me a

kiss”.

 

Little boy (Age 8) He commented, “They didn’t want us any more and they just decided

to give us to Mimi and Papa Joe”. When asked his understanding of why the parents did

not want him and his siblings, he stated, “They just decided they just wanted to give us to

Mimi and that’s what they decided to do”.

Boy (Age 14) When asked why he wants to be adopted, Collin stated, “Just want to have

a family again”.

Trevor (Age 9) removed when 6 years old. He denied being angry with his father.

However, he added, “I still think about my dad hitting me and I’m glad I’m away from

him”.

Rafael (Age 5) When asked why he was placed in foster care, Rafael reported he does

not know why. He immediately stated, “I was keep on moving. And I found a mom and

dad where I want to stay”.

Adopted “he admitted that he wants to be adopted. When asked the meaning of adoption,

he said, “I get to stay here and I don’t have to move”.

Xavier – Age 10 When asked what is okay about him not seeing his mother, Xavier

responded, “I won’t see her as much. It will probably help me not to remember her for a

long time so I can go on with my life”.

Trinity – Age 10 for adoption evaluation

1. I AM BEST WHEN I’m around my grandma.

2. I WISH MY FAMILY WOULD my mom would get along with my grandma Janie.

When they lived with grandma, they fought.

3. MY FATHER needs to be sober. The last time he came to our visit he was drunk.

4. SOME DAY I WILL grow up and take care of my grandma Francis and be a RN.

5. A GOOD MOTHER ALWAYS do the right thing and get a job and not worry about

her boyfriend more than she worries about her kids.

6. I HOPE I’LL NEVER be like my mom and my dad.

7. I FEEL BAD WHEN my grandma’s sad. Sometimes her daughters and

granddaughters don’t call her.

8. CHILDREN WOULD BE BETTER OFF IF they had their mom and their dad.

9. WHEN I WAS LITTLE, my mom sometimes I barely remember sometimes she

would tell us not to open the door for anybody and she would leave us their by ourselves.

 

10. IF NO ONE HELPS ME, I wouldn’t know what to do.

11. IT MAKES ME MAD WHEN my mom she doesn’t ever to what she’s supposed to

do.

12. I AM HAPPY WHEN I’m with my grandma.

13. MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW THAT I am younger than my sister.

14. I AM TIRED OF being in CPS. I just want to hurry up and get adopted.

15. I AM GOOD AT making good grades.

16. WHAT I HATE MOST IS when people say I don’t like my mom. Some people

don’t even have a mom and they’re talking about their mom like that.

17. I BELIEVE that adoption will go through 100% great.

18. MY MOTHER is bad.

19. I AM SAD WHEN I’m really not sad now that I live with my grandma francis.

20. A GOOD FATHER ALWAYS takes care of his children and has a job and has a

house.

 

Five year old Christopher who had bruises all over his body from his father.

The examiner asked how he feels that his father is in jail and he stated, “I feel okay and I

feel safe from my dad”. Christopher then reported that he got a spanking every day when

he lived at his father’s home.

Contributions for Foster*A*Life are needed and gratefully appreciated.

 

You may call the executive director at 806.792.3181 for further information. Acknowledgment and receipts appropriate for tax purposes are sent to the donors. Donations may be made to honor and in memory of others.

 

Please send your donations to:

Foster*A*Life

2402-52nd Street   Suite 7

Lubbock, Texas 79412