Sabrina knows just what it is like to be a youth in foster care. When Sabrina was little, her biological mother struggled with mental illness and it wasn’t safe for Sabrina to be at home, so she was put into the Illinois foster care system. Before the age of six, Sabrina lived in two foster care homes. In the second home, there was a house fire. Sabrina remembers the trauma vividly – she had to be rescued out of the window. After the fire, Sabrina was placed into a new foster home which eventually became her forever home. Her current family adopted her at the age of seven. “My worldview was shaped by that experience. I know I didn’t deserve that life, but I am so fortunate to land with my family.”
Sabrina is now a Youth Minister, married with a family of her own. When Sabrina and her husband moved to Minnesota a few years ago, she wanted to find ways to connect and give back to youth in foster care. “While I’d love to be a foster parent someday, the trauma I experienced as a young girl makes it difficult.” Sabrina started to research options online and landed on the MNAdopt.org website and was eventually connected to Nexus Family Healing. Sabrina was immediately greeted with friendly, prompt responses. “I wanted to provide Christmas gifts to teens. The staff at Nexus Family Healing let me know exactly what the youth in foster care needed – bags, personal hygiene products. Donating was so easy.”
“Sabrina donated lots of personal gift bags that had personal care products, books, art supplies as well as a ton of clothing,” says Rachelle Holm, Nexus Family Healing Development Officer, “We’re so thankful.”
Sabrina reminds others that no gift is too small. “No matter what stage of life you’re in, you can always help kids in foster care. Every day kids are waiting to be reunited with their family or to be adopted. Even if you can only give $10, it could buy an item that could renew hope and change a life.”
