By Robin McHaelen | Executive Director
With your help and the help of caring people like you (and Margo), we are making it better NOW.
Consider Julie*. She has been in the ‘system’ for a while and was living with foster parents. She was referred to the True Colors mentoring program when she came out as trans* at 13. We were able to match her with Margo, a lesbian identified woman who has a deep commitment to youth and especially trans* youth. Almost immediately, Margo began to realize that Julie’s foster placement wasn’t good for her. (Her foster mom, for example, told Julie that ‘as long as he had the parts God gave him, he was a boy in her eyes!’).
When, as expected, the foster home placement deteriorated to the point that Julie had to leave, Margo helped True Colors find a new, affirming home for her. Then, Julie’s social worker started dragging her feet in arranging for Jennifer to connect to a gender affirming/competent therapist. So, Margo stepped in again. She not only found a great therapist, but she convinced her to work with Jennifer pro bono until such time as the State insurance could kick in. Julie is now doing amazingly well. She is living full time in her affirmed identity as a girl. She is connected to her peers, visits weekly with her mentor and participates in True Colors activities. Because of the on-going support she received, Julie at nearly 16 is poised to grow into a healthy, productive young adult.
Other youth are not quite as lucky. Consider Jane. She also was referred to True Colors when she first began coming out at trans* as a not-quite 12 year old. She was living at the time in a residential treatment facility and like Julie had experienced significant abuse and neglect prior to coming into care. But, in spite of looking for almost 4 years, we were unable to find someone willing to invest the time and commitment this youth needed. She is now incarcerated. Her adult plans focus on running away to Atlanta as soon as she turns 18 and becoming a dancer and a reality TV star. It is possible that a mentor might not have made a difference with this youth – but imagine what might have been possible, if someone had stepped forward.
For every Julie, there is Jane. Part of what keeps us going is that for every Jane, there is also a Julie.
And that is where you come in. As a True Colors donor, you give us the tools and resources we need to keep on fighting for all the Janes and Julies and Mikes and Sams… We don’t always win. But you make it possible for us to always, always try. Remember the story about the woman on the beach, picking up and saving one after another of the stranded starfish? A man comes along and asks her, ‘why are you bothering? You can’t save them all!” She replies, “You are right. But I can save this one. And this one. And this one. And …”
Thanks for making our work possible. Oh, and spread the word, please? We need mentors, mentors, mentors …
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