Voices of the Movement: Laura Lomeli & Andre Shirley

When you were a child and needed help, who did you call? Maybe you leaned on a parent, an aunt, or an uncle for some much-needed advice or simply a comforting voice.

Ask a foster kid this same question, though, and you’ll most likely get a very different answer: nobody.

As former foster youth, we know this painful truth firsthand. We’ve experienced the struggle foster kids face as they try to navigate a complicated world completely on their own. We’ve seen with our own eyes how this lack of support can lead foster youth to homelessness, deep poverty, or worse.

It doesn’t have to be this way. If we want to truly make a difference, though, it’s going to take all of us.

Please, take a minute to share our video with your friends, family, and colleagues. Your voice will inspire more concerned Californians like you to join our movement to end child poverty. Let’s give our state’s most vulnerable kids the support they need to be healthy, happy, and safe.

Sincerely,

Laura Lomeli & Andre Shirley
Former foster youth