Sarah
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Sarah

Sarah was placed in foster care at 11 years old and aged out out the system at 18. She's known by those around her as a young woman who is compassionate, has a heart of gold, and hardworking.

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Bilonda
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Bilonda

Bilonda was in and out of the foster care system for 5 years of her life. She was so scared to enter foster care as a young girl and ended up having to bounce around to 5 different foster homes.

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Pamela
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Pamela

Pamela is described by her friends as a very nice person. When thinking about the future, she desires to do more with herself, and to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way.⁣⁣⁣

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Rachel
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Rachel

Rachel spent 4 years in the foster care system before aging out to navigate life alone. Her most important role she now plays is being the mother to a beautiful baby girl.

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Rico
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Rico

Rico spent two years in the foster care system before aging out. He has had to maneuver and seek healing for the deep pain, instability, and identity challenges that come with being a youth in foster care.

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Tyler
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Tyler

Tyler is a thankful, friendly, and helpful young man. He spent 3 ½ years in the foster care system before aging out. Right now, Tyler works at a pizza restaurant and is preparing to start engineering school.

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Ashanti
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Ashanti

Ashanti spent most of her life in the foster care system. Her potential is known by all of those around her and she is currently on a journey of working on and improving herself.

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Preston
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Preston

Preston is a loving, helpful, kind, thoughtful, strong, funny, artistic, and athletic young man. He currently spends his days as a student who is finishing high school and as an employee at a local ice cream shop.

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Hailie
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Hailie

Hailie spent most of her life in the foster care system before adding out to be on her own. She has been looking into joining pre-law organizations, all of which have business-casual dress codes.

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Benjamin
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Benjamin

Benjamin is known by his friends as one who is very outgoing, trustworthy, responsible, and likable. He has spent the past 3 years in the foster care system. He is now focused on gaining independent living skills before aging out of the system.

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Alexis
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Alexis

"I just wanted to say thank you so much for this donation to me and my daughter. It means the world to me. It’s been quite a struggle making ends meet and being able to buy things for my house all because I’m unemployed, I’ve been unemployed for so long because I’m trying to give school my main focus.⁣”

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Anna
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Anna

Anna spent 5 years in the foster care system before aging out to navigate life alone as a young parent. She has survived so much – yet continues to extend her care and love to those around her and within her home.⁣⁣

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Sarah
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Sarah

Sarah entered the foster care system at the age of 12 and spent years surviving hardship before aging out.

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Angel
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Angel

Angel entered the foster care system as a baby, where she tragically remained until she aged out at the age of 22. She was thrown out into the world with nothing.

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Kyrsten
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Kyrsten

Kyrsten was just 5 years old when she and her older sister were brought to the Department of Human Services office by police officers. All they had were the clothes on their backs, and even those were dirty.

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Joelle
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Joelle

Joelle is a creative and artistic deep thinker. She spent seven years in foster care before aging out and has clung to passion for art, using it as a way to deeply express herself.

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Richard
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Richard

Richard aged out of the foster care system at 18 and was released into the world.

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Tori
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Tori

Tori spent 12 years in the foster care system before aging out. Now, she is a constant advocate for others who have been through what she has.

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Annika
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

Annika

Annika spent five years in the foster care system as a teenager after surviving years of abuse.

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GeQwan
Annika Marek-Barta Annika Marek-Barta

GeQwan

GeQwan did not speak until he was 5 years old. Soon after that, he was diagnosed with autism.

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