I got involved with Foster Youth way back about, I would say early 2000s in San Francisco with an organization called Casa, which is the court appointed special advocacy group and they help youth who are in the court system have advocates so they can really connect to people on an emotional level when things are really getting scary. And then when I moved to Los Angeles, I got involved with an organization called Youth in Transition, which is also Emancipated youth
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 3:09
And I just kind of want to drop into kind of talk to me about that phrase and what it means to you and who you are and all that stuff. Well, the foster youth community is actually quite a large community, but I feel like a lot of attention isn't given to that community. So what we're doing today on this particular day is putting together something real sweet and nice for the youth, is going to be at the beach. We're going to have a paint event
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 4:09
You've never put up a tent before. We're going to learn about how she did it. Well, tell me your name again. Isika? ISAACA. So tell me the specialness of this tent. I mean, it's been with me three times. I got it at, like, a youth research center. Got Spy. They were giving out tents for people who, like, kept coming in. And the only reason why I even went to Spy is because showers. Really?
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 5:00
Yeah, I don't know. Okay. I do know. I just figuring out how to word it impromptu. So so many different avenues are coming together to create the culture that we have today. One, there are record labels and businesses that are very wealthy and very influential, and they act as a pseudo government. Now, that pseudo government is treating the creative arts industry like Big Pharma
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 4:22
We've got some board members here, some commentors, some staff, and we're just really here to support foster youth, make sure that everyone feels that there is a community for them. By them we create an app where we hire young adults and they actually do the work. They create an app. And the thing that I love most, Kean and Chris can tell you, 10 hours a week, they found resources and resources and more resources
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 2:37
Tell me how that feels when you know you're bringing joy. I just love Santa to me, is a spirit, so it's not a person. I mean, it's a person, it's an embodiment. But Santa is a spirit of kindness and joy and generosity and love and giving and to embrace that and to be that is just so incredibly amazing. And I'm almost going to cry because I just love being Santa. Every year there's a cute little YouTube video on
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 2:56
So I went through being a high school or a college dropout to getting addicted to drugs, to kind of finding my way and my resources and figuring it out a little bit piece by piece by myself with an amazing support system. But as I realized that, I understood that foster you don't have it easy. And I needed to find a way to kind of give back in a way that would be substantial and meaningful to not only like myself, but for the youth
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 4:13
So there's lessons with each letter. Movement, breath, and different relating. Friendly relating games based off of nonviolent communication, restorative, justice. And I forget what the other one is. Authentic relating. So your life right now in terms of its structure, are you are you out of the NGO space and going into the kind of the for profit, cause related space? I I'm a free agent. So you're a thought leader is what you are
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 0:25
Back in my car, going home, and I just wanted to reflect on the beauty of the day. It was really awesome. And just to be around people, build community through volunteerism, through humanism, it's the best. So if you have any time in the new year. To volunteer for your local youth organizations, they need us the most. Just get out there and do it. It feels really good. Happy holidays
J.L. Beasley
@Her_Sisu · 0:11
That is amazing. I have not heard of programs such as these. And thank you all for the great work that you guys are doing for Emancipated youth