Hero Highlight: Xane Ice
On a bright Monday morning, we were surprised with such a wonderful donation by 8-year-old Xane Ice. At such a young age, Xane, is making a difference in the world. He is the youngest in his family and is already such a strong leader.
“It was my 8th birthday last month and instead of asking for gifts for myself, I wanted to ask for donations for children in foster care,” said Xane. He worked with his mom, Brenda, to search for organizations that support foster children and that’s when they heard about our Back-to-School Drive for foster youth. He was inspired by this and began asking for donations of backpacks and school supplies
Xane, his brother Xavier, and father Brandon, gathered donations and together they filled eight backpacks completely with school supplies. They dropped off the gifts to our warehouse, where Xane exhibited care, confidence, and kindness as he informed us of the work he had done to help foster youth.
The Children’s Foundation of America (CFA) also received cash donations in honor of Xane and his birthday.
Xanes dream is to be in the NBA and when asked if he has donated to other organizations he said, “not yet.” At such a young age Xane’s consideration for others shines. CFA appreciates the thoughtfulness of Xane and his family.
If you’d like to be a hero for children in need, visit our Get Involved page or call 1-800-KIDS-730.
Isabel Millward-Pena, Communications Specialist
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working with our team as an intern and, luckily for us, never left. Prior to her work at CFA, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017.
Hero Highlight: Joseph Patterson and Pokelanthropy Inc.
Joseph Patterson is a 26-year-old CEO making a difference in the world. His charity organization, Pokelanthropy Inc., works to “enrich the lives of children and young adults in need, by introducing the interactive and exciting hobby of Pokémon card trading and collecting of Pokémon cards.” He has been a collector of Pokémon cards for as long as he can remember. Thousands of cards get thrown away because collectors discard the ones they don’t want in their pursuit for the cards they are looking for. “I started to think about how much this effected the planet, and I knew I wanted to do something about it,” he said.
The nonprofit sector is not new to Joseph. In the past, he has worked with the Pacific Marine Mammal Care Center, Heal The Bay, Marine Mammal Care Center, Olive Crest, Wayfinder Family Services, and The Mary Vilencia Project. Helping these organization is what led him to start Pokelanthropy.
As a former foster youth, himself, Joseph has found a passion for the advocacy of foster children, animals, and the environment. Due to family circumstances, Joseph and his little brother found themselves moving from foster home to foster home. He and his brother eventually found the stability they needed in their lives. While it took many interesting pathways, Joseph has found his way by striving in school and volunteering. He is currently enrolled as an upperclassman at California State University, Los Angeles and is finishing up the veterinary prerequisites to apply for Veterinary Graduate School. His current goals are to finish his bachelors’ program then apply to graduate school within D.V.M. licensing. He is also considering obtaining a master’s degree in nonprofit management.
After scouting out potential organizations, Joseph decided to partner with the Children’s Foundation of America. “Coming from a foster care background, I really wanted to work with agencies helping a cause that I feel passionate about.” Pokelanthropy, in collaboration with Sigma Alpha Epsilon and SAE of Cal State LA, donated 200 sets of Pokémon cards which will be used for our monthly Birthday-in-a-Bag Campaign that celebrates the birthdays of children in foster care. The youth we serve do enjoy Pokémon cards and the donation has been welcomed with excitement from both direct care workers and the children they serve.
Our impact is thanks to inspiring individuals, like Joseph, who support our mission. If you’d like to donate to our Birthday-in-a-bag campaign, click here!
Isabel Millward-Pena
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working with our team as an intern and, luckily for us, never left. Prior to her work at CFA, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017.
Hero Highlight: Makayla Oas
At just 17 years old, Makayla Oas is doing amazing things. A junior in high school, she attends a boarding school in Connecticut and plans to pursue a career in business. She dreams of creating two businesses: one for-profit and one non-profit.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Makayla and her schoolmates were suddenly sent home leaving most of their belongings behind. Switching from boarding school to school at home as been difficult for her but she says, “If it is hard for me then it must be even harder for children who are at a disadvantage. This is what drove me to search for ways that I could help them.”
Makayla saw her friends supporting foster youth online and began doing some research. She found the Children’s Foundation of America’s campaign to support children in need during the COVID-19 crisis and reached out to help. She worked with her dad, a business owner, to search for ways they could help.
“My dad has many friends who have businesses and he helped me reach out to them to ask for hand sanitizer donations,” she said. During a time when supplies were scarce, they were able to provide 7 large bottles of hand sanitizer and 100 masks, which the Foundation distributed to foster youth on residential campuses.
One day when she starts her non-profit, Makayla hopes to help children in foster care. Her passion to help these children was inspired by her grandmother, who was a foster parent. She was impressed by her grandmother and felt empathy for the children she would foster. “They weren’t always provided the resources they needed,” she said.
She also hopes to create a tutoring group to help children in foster care in the near future and says she is “willing to put in all the work that is needed to help these children in need.” The foundation is so grateful to be partnering with such great heroes like Makayla who strive to Be the Difference in the lives of children in need.
Want to be a hero for children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic? Reach out to us at donations@trinityys.org or donate to on our website.
Isabel Millward-Pena, Communications Specialist
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working with our team as an intern and, luckily for us, never left. Prior to her work at the Foundation, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017.
Hero Highlight: Tikel Davis and The Society of Mentorship for Minority Women and Girls
The Society of Mentorship for Minority Women and Girls (SMMWG) is an organization who vow to serve their time as leaders for females from various walks of life by driving social change, unity, and education. They started their journey in November 2019 and have been working diligently to ensure they are prepared to help where needed. Tikel Davis is the founder and president of SMMWG and saw the need for help during the COVID-19 outbreak. So, for her birthday, she made it her goal to give back.
Tikel works for an air space company called Northrop Grumman as a Mission Assurance Engineer. She is considered an essential worker and has been needed for additional hours due to the crisis. However, she is making sure SMMWG continues to be active in the community. During the stay-at-home order, she and her organization have been working with a nursing home and reached out to the Children’s Foundation of America to support foster youth living on a residential campus in Apple Valley.
Since Tikel recently relocated to California from Arkansas, she spent some time on Google searching for local organizations that need help. She got in contact with Gail Polk, our Community Outreach Coordinator, and found out about the needs of Trinity Youth Services’ Apple Valley campus, a short-term residential therapeutic program for foster youth.
In an effort to keep youth occupied on campus during quarantine, Gail and Campus Director, Elizabeth Tamoush, coordinated with Tikel to provide activities for the kids. Together, they planned a “Sip and Paint Party.” SMMWG held a fundraiser and collected almost $300, which was used to purchase art supplies including paint brushes, pallets and jars of paint. They also purchased snacks like popcorn, chips and cookies as well as apple juice, punch and soda to sip.
For those struggling due to the COVID-19 crisis, Tikel’s advice is to “Really understand within yourself, where your strength comes from. We are bigger than our circumstances,” she said. “We can overcome whatever circumstances are thrown our way.”
Children in need fall through the cracks during crisis, which is why it is more important than ever to get involved. The Children’s Foundation of America appreciates the amazing support of our donors. We couldn’t accomplish what we do without you! It is thanks to amazing individuals and organizations such as Tikel’s at the Society of Minority Women and Girls that we can Be the Difference for so many. If you would like to be a hero for children in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, reach out to us at donations@trinityys.org or donate on our website.
Isabel Millward-Pena
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working with our team as an intern and, luckily for us, never left. Isabel primarily works as Clerical for Trinity Youth Services. Prior to her work there, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017.
Hero Highlight: Jorge Merlos
Jorge Merlos is the Production Partner at Integrity Home Finance in Rancho Cucamonga. He found out about Children’s Foundation of America through West End Real Estate Professionals (WEREP), who have long supported our Foundation. WEREP is a nonprofit organization of real estate professionals, who aim to connect with new people and organizations and to help raise funds where it is needed. Jorge has been part of this wonderful group of real estate professionals for almost 15 years and started getting involved in organizing the group’s charitable fundraisers.
Each year around Cinco de Mayo, WEREP hosts “Taco ‘Bout A Party” to raise funds for the Foundation. Later on in the year, they extend an invitation to CFA for their holiday party to present an additional check from funds raised at each of their meetings throughout the year. WEREP makes giving back fun through fundraising events and games at their weekly meetings.
Jorge chose to support CFA because he believes we “are doing amazing things for these kids. It’s a selfless contribution to society. You guys provide smiles and continue to impact the lives of the future generation.”
During Christmas, Jorge was a huge part of the success of our annual Holiday Heroes Campaign. He gathered his network of over 100 clients, coworkers, friends and family to participate in our Holiday Heroes campaign, resulting in a collection of over 500 gifts. Together, they raised approximately $12,000 in toys and gift cards for youth in foster care. In a video on his social media, Jorge said, “It means so much to me that I have so many wonderful friends out there helping us give back.”
Our Community Outreach Coordinator, Gail Polk said, “Jorge started by asking me for 10 children’s wishes at a breakfast meeting. By that afternoon, he was asking for 20 additional wishes and that continued throughout the campaign till I was out of wish tags. That did not stop Jorge and his incredible community. They just kept collecting gifts and bringing them to us. Jorge really helped to make this year a huge success!” Because of community partners like Jorge, the Children’s Foundation of America was able to give to more than 2,000 children this year.
Jorge made giving to teenage youth a specific goal. “Unfortunately, a lot of times teenagers get left out when these toy drives are done,” he said. Jorge took it upon himself to advocate for this particular youth group to raise awareness.
Gail presented a special plaque to Jorge at the WEREP holiday party, thanking Jorge for being a 2019 Holiday Hero. He also received The West End Real Estate Professionals Founder’s Award for his work in the community. Upon accepting the award, Jorge explained that charitable giving is “something that my parents raised me with.” He continued to say, “Thank you for the opportunity to give back.”
It’s thanks to amazing individuals like Jorge that CFA has the impact it does. Hard work like that never goes unnoticed, we value the support and appreciate all that Jorge has done to Be the Difference.
If you would like to be a hero for children in need, visit our Get Involved page or call 1-800-KIDS-730.
Isabel Millward-Pena
Isabel contributes content for our social media, blog, newsletters and promotional materials. She recently earned a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University San Bernardino and is currently working on her master’s degree. Isabel began working with our team as an intern and, luckily for us, never left. Isabel primarily works as Clerical for Trinity Youth Services. Prior to her work there, she was a substitute instructional aid and a supervisor at Starbucks. She has also volunteered as an aid at local elementary schools and notably achieved “Partner of the Quarter” at Starbucks in 2017.