By Melissa Falcone | Resource Development Manager
Delores McDaniel, who has attended the Inukai Boys & Girls Club for 11 years, was recently chosen to represent Oregon as the 2009 Youth of the Year! Being named ‘Youth of the Year’ is the highest honor a Boys & Girls Club member can receive. Delores is known for her energy, compassion and commitment tohelping others before herself.
Any child who has spent time in the foster care system understands just how important it is to have somewhere they can call home: whether or not that is an actual house or other building or group that they truly belong with. For Delores, that place was the Inukai Boys & Girls Club, where she spent many hours learning from others and understanding how much she could achieve by believing in herself.
Delores remembers, “I always drew pictures of friends and families I wished I had”. Having spent her first 8 years as a foster child before she was adopted, Delores craved companionship and a place to call her own. At the Inukai Club, she found just that. Delores quickly became involved in several programs such as Keystone, SMART Girls and Triple Play, and is now a Teen Leader. She has also immersed herself in school activities, and is a member of several groups includingthe School Leadership Team, Newspaper Photo Editor and has sung the National Anthem for numerous sporting events. As a result of her earlier memories of feeling unwanted and excluded, Delores now gives back to the Club that provided so much stability for her and always seeks out those younger Club members who need a little extra help finding their way.
Congratulations, Delores!
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