We celebrate youth empowerment, volunteerism and leadership, while celebrating foster kids' birthdays!
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We are a team of youth who encourage kids and teens to make a difference in their communities, by taking the first step of making a birthday box.
We hope that when kids make birthday boxes, not only are they celebrating foster youth in need, but they realize that they can think of a project or put effort into a cause that they are passionate about. We want our birthday boxes to be the spark.
WHY FOSTER KIDS?
Foster children are the forgotten people of our society. There are 400,000 foster kids in the US. A child enters foster care every two minutes.
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Foster children suffer PTSD at more than twice the rate as US War Veterans.
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1 in 5 children will experience homelessness in 5 years of aging out.
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67% of human trafficking victims are foster kids.
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60% of prison inmates are former foster kids.
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Only 50% of foster kids graduate high school. Only 1% graduate college.
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65% of foster kids switch schools at least 7 times.
WHY BIRTHDAYS?
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With all of the hardships and challenges foster kids face, they deserve at least one special day.
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Every child has a birthday, but not every child has an opportunity to celebrate.
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Birthdays provides joy, a special memory, and an opportunity to build self esteem.
Message from the President
We named Team Celebrate "Team" because our goal was to not only celebrate foster kids and youth volunteers, but to create a team of leaders to celebrate together.
I started Team Celebrate with a goal of celebrating the birthdays of the foster kids at my local children's home. This goal eventually expanded into wanting to celebrate all of the foster kids in my city, county and then state. I cannot believe we are now celebrating foster kids across the country, and most importantly, empowering youth to make a difference in their communities.
I could not have grown Team Celebrate to what it is today without the help of many amazing kids! I am so proud and blessed to change the world with kids who have the same passion, drive and compassion as me. We might be kids and teenagers, but together we are changing the world!
XOXO
Lizzie Allison
Founder and President
TEAM
Teen Board
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Director of Outreach
Director of Operations
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Director of Communications
Social Media Director
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Social Media Director
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Director of School Relations
Adult Advisory Board
Paula Allison
Associate Vice Chancellor, Resource Development for Los Rios Community College District and President of the Los Rios Foundation
Kristen Forderer
Information Technology consulting professional. Active member of the Sacramento Children’s Home board of directors for 8 years and is currently serving on the Home’s executive committee.
Jean Losey
Retired educator with over 37 years experience working in the public school arena as a teacher, resource teacher, vice-principal, principal, principal coach and consultant