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CHARITIES WE L OVE

campers. The group is com- what they are doing definitely ference for children is made you can participate in for as
posed of brothers and sisters works. They currently have every day." little as $25 a month. That
who aren’t able to live togeth- 175 kids in this program. Currently close to 5,000 $25 can provide one child the
er in foster care. So, we bring Promises2kids is 100% children in San Diego pass opportunity to go to camp for
them together, and they get philanthropy funded, which through the foster care the year. It's a really impactful
to share the entire experi- means everything is donat- system each year. Promis- program that, pretty much
ence, bonding, and recon- ed from the private sector. es2Kids reaches a significant anybody can support. We
necting with their siblings. In "The majority of our giving is percentage of those children. love our volunteers as well.
some cases, they haven't seen through individuals. We have "We have many different When you consider that by
each other in years. Once the special fundraising events. programs that touch these giving your time and having
kids attend the camp, they We just had our concert, children, programs such as a child realize that somebody
can also participate in their which was a very special back to school shopping cares for them, it can make a
monthly activities where event and a huge success. and special wish granting. huge impact on a child, and
every single month we might The event was sold out, and Sometimes it is for something the results are unimaginable.”
go to the beach or to a mu- we raised just around 1.3 which may seem small to us, There were two other
seum or do another activity million for our kids.” but is monumental to a child, ways that Tonya suggested
where they can continue that I was curious how Tonya such as a prom dress. I would you could get involved with
relationship.” came to Promises2kids, “I say that we are servicing at Promises2Kids. One would
Their second main pro- started originally as a so- least, 2000 children a year, be for our business women
gram run by Promises2kids cial worker in Chicago, in with a staff of 23 and a fabu- or business owners out there
is Guardian Scholars, now in the inner city. I was given a lous Board of Directors and an to be a mentor to a Guardian
its 18th year. “In high school, caseload of about 30 kids, Advisory Committee. My goal Scholar and allow them to
we look at trying to get kids and it made me realize that for the Promises2Kids is to in- see what they can achieve.
thinking about their long- there was much improvement crease our capacity to be able The other suggestion would
term career, and educational needed in the system and a to have every child, as they're be to volunteer to be on their
goals. So, we work to make lot of the kids really didn't leaving foster care at age Board of Directors. What may
sure they graduate High have a voice. This was when 18, to be accepted into our only be a few hours a month
School by providing tutor- I decided that what I really Guardian Scholars program.” or a few dollars a month can
ing and other educational wanted to do was to give a In order for Tonya and her provide hope and inspiration
support. We offer them tours voice to foster youth.” agency to achieve this goal, to a foster child and can help
of different businesses, so Tonya remained in Chi- they will need an additional 2 them become part of that
they get a chance to see what cago for some time and then million dollars added to their 90% success rate.
they would really like to do as went on to work in Arizona's annual budget. If they can
a career, which often inspires public child welfare system. do so, then San Diego would Visit https://promises2kids.org
them to succeed. Once they She then decided to go back be the first city in the United today and help make a differ-
graduate, they qualify for our to school for her masters in States to be able to say that ence in a child’s life!
collegiate program, which can social work administration. there is a program, for every
be either vocational training Tonya then decided to relo- single youth in foster care as
or a traditional college expe- cate to San Diego and went to they age out, that provides
rience. We provide them with work for another agency and the mentor and the support
a small scholarship, but the then heard about Promis- that they need.
majority of what we do in this es2Kids and knew that this When I asked Tonya how
program is to meet with them was where she belonged. San Diego Woman Magazine
every month to be sure we “I first came here as the readers could help them
keep them on track, and mo- fundraiser, as director of achieve this goal, her re-
tivated. We send care pack- development, in 2005, and sponse was, "We need your
ages to them and provide a I stayed for three years and financial donations as well as
volunteer mentor.” then I left to run the Com- your time as a volunteer. If
In essence, they are mission on Children, Youth, you have a company that is
stepping in and taking the and Families. It was a County willing to open their doors to
parent's role since they don't Commission, which took an give our kids the opportunity
have parents to do these in-depth look at foster care to shadow their leaders, pro-
things for them. Last year the issues. I came back to Prom- vide tours, and offer intern-
Guardian Scholars program ises2Kids as CEO, eight years ships with them, that would
had over 90% success rate ago because it was where my be great as well. We also have
compared to a national heart was. This is the place a monthly giving program
average of less than 10%. So where I can see a true dif- called Promise Makers, that

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