Program News 2006
Celebrating Foster Care 2006
Current and former participants in Good Shepherd's foster boarding home and residential programs gathered at our 17th Street facility on the evening of April 6 to honor the accomplishments of young people in foster care.
Following exhibitions of art, photography, poetry and writing by our residents, Director of Social Services Harriet Mauer made welcoming remarks, and dinner was served. The bulk of the evening was given over to performances by our program participants, which included spoken word, song, poetry and dance. All the performances were incredibly moving, most particularly a spoken word piece by Latoya McFarlane called "Daddy's Little Girl," about the father she never knew.
Also on the program were speeches by several Good Shepherd foster boarding home and residential program alumnae. "I feel great pride in my unique background," said Damaris Rau, a former St. Helena's resident who today is a high school principal. Rau spoke at length about how she felt her time at St. Helena's had given her a strong sense of maturity, determination, and self-confidence. "The staff made us feel special and did not allow us to wallow in pity due to our unfortunate circumstances. They also helped us to become responsible and accountable, giving us the confidence to take on new challenges. Through their support I learned that I could do anything. I could be anything."
April 7, 2006
