Former foster Danny Vann and I discuss MANY of the resources available to The former foster community. From higher education to faith. Danny has a heart to help and mentor those who feel stuck especially the young just aging out. Danny is an accomplished musician and an Elvis impersonator as well as a public speaker and writer. You can find out more about as well as links to resources he has assembled for those Ageing out at www.Dannyvann.com.   If you would like to tell your foster child journey please contact me in the comments below or send me an email at [email protected]. 

All of Danny’s resource list can be seen by visiting his webpage. @ https://myjourneyintheshadowoftheking.com

You can also listen to the podcast at  As always, I’m rooting for you!

Carob

Happy Thanksgiving friends. This year has been ridiculous and I wanted to share a message with you about how I've managed to find happiness even in the hard times. As in everything, so much is determined by our perspective. Society seems to encourage us so often, to look for the worst.  While I can concede that many awful things have and do happen, I've found for myself that there is always always always grateful for.  My hope is that the person who needs to will stumble across this. My hope is always to encourage you, with truth and tips to help you live your best life despite the circumstances you find yourself in today. Your future is limitless and within Your control!  Please like subscribe and share to help me spread a message of hope for the former foster community!  I'm rooting for you!  Carob  

Keywords: Thanksgiving, Former Foster, Rage vs Rise, Aged-out. Corrie Ten-Boom, The Hiding Place, Happiness, Mindset, Perspective, Carob Mars, Mentor, Foster Alumni, Foster Care, Foster Child, Keys to Happiness, Foster Kids, Faith. biracial,

No matter who you are, its hard not to admit that in many ways 20/20 has been rough. Today is the election and that only ads to the stresses we are all feeling reguardless of your stance on politcs.  in todays episode I wanted to share some ways that i fight my own anxiety that i hope will be useful to you too.  In all things remember to give yourself grace and keep rising!

Carob 

Nearly 3 months later I feel like there is so much more to say on this subject, just the other day a group of young people came to me and discussed the damage of this current narrative. Saying they never felt racist before. In this episode I dig deeper into the ideas from my previous. And I explain why I stand strongly against identity politics. My hope is to get a across the point that EVERY Single Person matters and also that You MUST matter to yourself. Specifically we discuss some of the atrocities of civil rights, and some of the current atrocities of Critical Race Theory as well as what very real systemic racism looks like. 

I share my unique perspective of being mixed race in an interracial marriage and also some of the things I experienced in walking away from government dependency after foster care!

This is a two part conversation I never wanted to have . My race though a part of who i am has never been dominate in the way that I think. My with the current sort of cult to identity. I've found myself is a place where I can't really stay silent. I talk about everything in this in the following episode and I do speak against many of the current narratives. Truth is truth and my goal is to share hard truths and the lessons I've learned along the way that you might escape some of the pitfalls and get to the "better" place quicker. Lets take a look at history. Lets compare racism from the past to that of today and look for positive waves to rise up and move forward!

In this episode, (one of first interviews) I talk with Kathy, a mature former foster who created a legacy for herself, Incuding an impressive career and a beautiful family. Now she grapples with being an empty nester and the feelings of loneliness that it brings back. Kathy is a funny sometimes brash New Yorker with a heart of pure gold. We discuss her mother's alcoholism, grief, parental let downs, the foster system, and reinventing yourself. Kathy is an advocate of self care, and helps former fosters in New York city get settled into adulthood. I love how she defines success. "making life better for even one person or living thing, for one moment, even just for one day"

Special thanks to Ben Sound for the intro outro music. 

In this interview I interview Kirk Brochenbrough. Kirk is the founder of Defining Moments Life coaching and he really has a true passion for those who have lived through foster care. He fell into social worker in his early teens becoming best friends with a foster youth and hearing his stories. Later he married a former foster youth. Kirk is different in that like so many who work in the system this is not a 9-5 job for him but a true calling. 

In this episode we talk about why many kids fail, the damage that labeling kids can do and the power of mentorship. This episode is not only created for former foster youth, but for current foster kids and the people that want to support them!

Enjoy!

In this interview Sandra Canadian native Sandra Noel, gets real about generations of addiction and what she's doing to stop the cycle. You can't help but feel Sandras love for the foster community and new found love and pride in herself!

Enjoy!

On this community story I interview up and coming poet,Ambition Harper. we talk about EVERYTHING! Race, drugs, neglect and hope. I appreciated the interview because he was so Real so Genuine and you can feel his passion not only for his heart but for foster kids both current and those who have Aged-out. 

"Ambition The Poet was a foster child who lost his hope, lost his family, and most of all lost his self-love. The pressure of bullying and anger pushed him to speak his truth through storytelling and rapping. Anger became the source of his word play. but now he uses his gift of poetry to help heal the hearts of the listeners. "