North Carolina Newspapers

FORUM Excelling through foster care kadia Edwards Guest Columnist At the heart of every story about our nation's foster care sys tem is a child in need of care and love. That fact easily can be lost, particularly when so many news stories about children % need focus on celebrity adoptions of children from foreign countries, ll can make the issue of abused and neglected children seem very far away. But it's not. Right now, in the United States, there are hun dreds of thousands of children who hope every night to be freed from an uncertain future and delivered into a secure and sup portive environment. j I should know. For nearly nine years, I was one of those children. I was originally bom in Jamaica. When I was 12, my brother and 1 came to the United States to live with our mother, who was both verbally and phys ically abusive. So many times my brother and I were forced to leave our home and either walk the streets or find temporary lodging with friends. He ultimately ended up going back to live with our mother, however, I did not. And, at the.age of 14, 1 entered the state of1 Connecticut's foster care sys tem. It was a transient existence. 1 was moved from home to home, which meant I changed schools often. I attended three different high schools in as many years. By the time 1 began to settle in, it seemed as if it was time to move again. I never had an opportunity to make any real friends or estab lish real relationships. That was until I met Carmen Carmen Effron is my Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), or volunteer Guardian ad Litem (GAL), as they're called in Connecticut. Naturally, 1 was a bit wary of her. She didn't look like me. she didn't speak like me and none of her experiences were similar to mine. I id everything I could to push her away. But, Carmen is strong, and over the course of a few short months, she became to me everything that a mother should be for her child. 1 am convinced that had it not been for Carmen's concern and care for me, my life would have taken a completely different and maybe tragic path. Last year, more than 50,000 CASA and GAL volunteers advo cated for 225,000 children - about half of the children in the child welfare system at any given time. They are trained communi ty volunteers who speak for the best interests of abused and neg lected children in court. When I first met Carmen, I was about 15 years old and living in a foster care home. Because of my circumstances, I had grown up fast. Carmen recognized my maturity level and fought in court for me to be granted the right to enter into an independent living program. She was also one of only a few people who talked to me about "next steps" in my life. Carmen encouraged me to go to college - even assisting me with filling out my applications. She helped me learn how to pay my bills, and generally taught me what it meant to prepare for my new adult life. The effect that Carmen has had on my life - although amaz ing - isn't atypical of CASA vol unteers. In fact, the benefits that CASA volunteers provide foster children throughout this country have been well documented. A. recent audit conducted by the US Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General demon strates that once a CASA volun leer is assigned, approximately 95 percent of children do not lan guish in long-term foster care and 90 percent of children do not reenter the child welfare system. In 2001, I entered my fresh man year at Howard University where I threw myself into a num ber of activities: student govern ment and a variety of Christian organizations and programs on campus. After graduating with a degree in Journalism. I applied to Duke University, where I am cur rently enrolled in the Divinity School. I expect to receive my Master's degree in 2008 Although I have some wonderful ly supportive people in my life, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't struggle. I wasn't prepared for the difficulties I would face once I "aged out" of the foster care system. That uncertainty led to a string of bad choices, starting with a marriage at age 22 that in hindsight was doomed before it even began. Like most other little girls, I dreamed of getting mar ried. settling down and raising a family. It didn't quite work out that way for me. Today, the marriage is oVer, but the consequences of my deci sions continue to linger. Every day, I am reminded of how one bad decision has impacted my life. But, I still consider myself one of the lucky ones. Thanks to my Guardian ad Litem program, 1 got some much-needed support and guidance from someone who cared about my future and made me care about my future. It's still my dream to get mar ried and become a mother some day. But, it isn't my only dream As 1 focus on life after graduation next year, I plan on completing a year-long residency to help me prepare for a career in pastdQjl counseling. My ultimate desire is to work with children growing up in the foster care system. I am a firm believer that everything hap pens for a reason and by sharing my experiences, perhaps 1 can help a young person just like me avoid some of the missteps that I have taken. t. Through it all. Carmen was and is still there for me. Without her, I don't know what I would have done. She didn't always agree with the choices I made, but like any good confidante, she picked me up when I fell down. There was never any judgment; only love and guidance. Because of Carmen, I know now that one person can make a difference. Because I have some one in my life who cares, I now have a future filled with possibil ities and I look forward to what the future holds for me after grad uation. To help other young people like me identify their possibilities, become a CASA or Guardian ad Litem volunteer. Learn more about becoming a volunteer by visiting wwwjiationalcasa.org or calling 1-888-805-8457? Kadia Edwards is currently pursuing her master's degree from Duke University's Divinity School in Durham and will be graduating this May. After gradu ation, she plans to pursue a career in Pastoral Counseling and hopes to work with children currently in the foster care sys tem. Erie S Ellison Anonet At Itm e ? Residential Heal Estate Closings ? Commercial Real Estate ? Title Searches ? Real Estate Document Preparation 112 North Marshall Street Winston Salem, NC 27101 (Jusi Sorth of J si Street) Phoot (336) 723 7J70 Fax: (.<36 ) 723 7372 eUisonlaw&eartiMiak uei "Dedicated To Providing You The Best Service.' T'"- """ Rep. Larry Womble NC House of Representatives 71st District Tel (336) 784-9373 Fax (336) 784-1626 E-Mail: LWistm@aol.com Home Address 1 294 Salem Lake Road Winston-Salem. NC 27107 ? PLANNING TO RETIRE SOON? Congratulations! ? Retirement is a big step. Choosing payout or distribution option can be difficult and scary. GET THE FINANCIAL GUIDANCE YOU DESERVE FROM A KNOWLEDGEABLE PROFESSIONAL Planning ~ Investments ~ Insurance Sharon S. Dobbins, ChFC* 336-631-9905 Branch Offio- SOOW 4 Street, Suite 201 -C = PO Box 21204. Winston Salem. NC 27120 Securities and Advisory services offered through Great American I Advisors 1 irv Member FINRA SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor GAA is not affiliated with Dobbins & Company Financial. Securities Involve risks including possible loss of principal Go Green or Die Gary Flowers Guest Columnist Whether Red, Yellow, Brown, Black or White, we are all precious in God's sight. God is Green. All people deserve to live in Green clean-air commu nities. If not, people on planet earth will die. In 2002, The Black Leadership Forum (BLF) issued a report entitled, "Air of Injustice: African- Americans & Power Plant Pollution" which chronicled how coal-fired power plants affect Black Americans by releasing chemi cals into the air and waterways. The report revealed that 68 per cent of African-Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant; and 71 percent of Black people live in counties that violate federal air pollution standards. "Air of Injustice" revealed the relationship between power plant pollutants such as mercury, sulfur, dioxide and environmental health issues in the Black community, among them asthma and high infant death rates. While the Black Leadership Forum (BLF) addresses issues impacting the Black community including first-class jails and second-class schools, unafford able housing/predatory lending, voter disenfranchisement, and inadequate health care, environ mental issues facing communi ties of color are a priority. The race to address Green issues in urban America is critical. The environmental injustice of toxic air, water, and soil is lit erally killing Black people in urban America. In short, too much pollution is affecting too many Black people, with too few alternatives. ^Fo^xamgleji^lacj^on^ munities in New York City such as Harlem, central-Brooklyn, and the South Bronx serve as tragic examples where the asth ma rate among school-aged children is nearly four times the U.S. average. The dangerously high asthma rate is in part linked to the location of gas and oil fired power plants t|hat pro duce harmful pollutants. We as a nation must go Green or die. While the debate over clean energy sources such as solar, wind, nuclear continues, one fact is clear: the current process for ^oal-fired energy plants must change. One approach would be carbon capture and storage in advanced coal gener ation. Black Leadership Forum is working with organizations like Safe Healthy Affordable and Reliable Energy (SHARE), a non-profit clean energy advoca cy organization. SHARE'S mis sion includes conducting important clean energy discus sions in schools, churches, ten ant associations and senior citi zen centers. Together, our goal is to elevate environmental issues to the forefront of the urban agenda. America must change its approach to exploring and developing clean energy sources. As it does, investing in clean energy would lead to the creation of jobs with livable wages, particularly in commu nities of color. A Green urban agenda put forth by the federal, state, and local government helps to radically reduce unem ployment and underemploy ment for many Black and Brown people. The math is simple: with a potential of trillions of dollars directed toward the Greening of America, such monies should help the people most affected by pollutants. Gary L. Flowers is execu tive director and CEO of the iflack Leadership Forum, Inc. S. Wayne Patterson ?\Uornr> \t I a? anil l ertififd \ 1 ?R Mediator ?Immigration 'Social Security "Civil Eights ?EEOC Claims ?Non-Profil/50lc(3T ?Employment Discrimination 235 Peachtree St. 8 West Third Street (Suite 400 Suite 220, Atlanta, GA 30303 Winston-Salem. NC 27 10 1 1 1-877-SWP-4LAW r or local number (336)714-8858 www.awaynepanerson4law.com Donald R. Biih BANKRUPTCY Legal Help For Your Debt Problems Donald r. buie, Attorney At Law wk*>. donaldrbuie.com * Free Initial Consultation > * Stop Repossession & Korvclosuiv * I he l.a? Office of Donald R. Kuir is a Kedcrall\ designated Debt Relief Age no under Title II tnited States Code Section 52&ai. He help peo ple file lor bankruptcy relief under the hankrupto code. 773-1398 ! W. 3rd St., Ste. 100 Jessie Draft & Associates LLC Jessie Draft/Broker CRS, GRI, REALTOR RNJDRAFT@MSN.COM 3750 Beeson Dairy Rd Winston-Salem, NC 27105 (336) 403-1254 Business (336) 748-0871 Fax MULT1MILUON DOLLAR PRODUCER Louise E. Harris Attorney at Law ? Debt Relief under the U.S. Bankruptcy Gxle ? Consumer Problems ? Traffic Tickets-& DWI ? Divorce ? Wills & Probate The Chronicle, the Choice for African-American New*, ii located at (17 N. Liberty Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336-722-8624 Fax -336-723-9173 news ?wschronicle .com www.wschronicle.com The Chronicle was established by Ernest Pitt and Ndubisi Egemonye in 1974, and is published every Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc. The Chronicle is a proud member of : National Newspapers Publishers Association ? 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