Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Being A Foster Carer - Family!

I was doing some research in preperation for the new addition to our family. A beautiful young 15 year old girl. I am excited (as you can tell).

Anyhow, I came across this touching article and decided to share it with you all. Many of you have probably had the desire to foster for quite some time now. Please read this article and decide is fostering is for you.

I will share this; it is by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done in my life. No words could describe the feelings I get when I know I have made a positive impact on a child's life. To see the results in "real life" is ...just amazing! For as long as I live, I will be a foster Carer! God willing.

This article was copy and pasted from Canadian Living Magazine

A young girl arrives at your door in the middle of the night with nothing but the clothes on her back. Her hair is matted from not being washed for weeks. All she wants is to feel her mother's arms around her, but her mom is incapable of giving her the care she needs. The child's home has been shattered by abuse and alcoholism, but it's the only home she knows. The girl is holding the hand of a social worker and looking up at you, wide-eyed with fear. You gently reach out to take her hand and welcome her into your home.
As many as 76,000 children like this young girl are in need of foster care in Canada, and child welfare agencies are desperately trying to find homes for them. It isn't always easy to care for foster kids – they may have emotional or behavioural issues due to abuse, poverty and neglect – but the foster parents we spoke to believe caring for these children has made their own lives better.

Glenda Nelles and Rick O'Brien
Snapshot: Glenda Nelles, 48, a former law clerk, and Rick O'Brien, 45, the owner of a distribution company, have three daughters between the ages of 16 and 22 from Glenda's first marriage as well as a biological son, Kyle, 9, and an adopted daughter, Rebecca, 6. They live in Markham, Ont.

Why they foster: When Glenda saw an ad in 1998 in the Toronto Star requesting people to foster infants, she felt the words were speaking directly to her. “One of the happiest times in my life was when my children were little,” she says. Glenda decided to cut back on her hours at work to a part-time position so that she could foster and also be home with her then two-year-old son. Initially Rick was concerned that children coming into their care from abusive backgrounds might not be a good influence on his young son. “When I found out we could put an age limit on the kids we took, I was all for it,” he says. Currently they're fostering three children under four years of age.

The experience: Over the past six years the couple has fostered
20 children, for as little as a few days to as long as 16 months. If they hadn't gone into fostering, they would never have adopted their daughter, Rebecca, who came to them when she was just four days old and couldn't go home because the neglectful situation hadn't changed. “By then she was 18 months old and we were her mommy and daddy,” says Glenda. “After that we agreed we weren't going to adopt anymore, but our kids still want to adopt every baby that comes into our home – they can't understand why we have to let them go,” says Glenda, who tells her kids that it's better for the children to be adopted by other families than remain in foster care.

Greatest joys: “When you work in an office you are lucky if someone tells you once a year that you are doing a good job. When you are fostering, you feel like that every day,” says Glenda. She says the greatest reward is witnessing the change in children who are loved and cared for. “Even though they've had a terrible start in life, it's amazing the strides they can make,” says Glenda. Rick takes to heart that he may be the only loving father figure these kids ever know. “They've been exposed to a lot of the lousy things men can do,” he says. “When they come here they experience the nice things.
The happiest experiences are those where children in their care find a loving permanent home. “We had two babies that were given to us straight from the hospital, and we raised them for more than a year,” says Glenda. “Then they were adopted by families who had no kids – that was the best.”

Challenges: One of the toughest experiences foster parents face is saying goodbye to a child they have bonded with and grown to love as one of their own. After caring for one little girl for
16 months, Glenda was devastated to have to let her go. “She was clutching my shirt, and it was heartbreaking,” she says. She admits it has become easier to say goodbye.
It can also be challenging to deal with the biological parents of children in care, especially when you know how their destructive behaviour has hurt their child. But these kids love their biological parents, and as a foster parent you need to respect that, says Glenda. “No matter what horrible things you know they've done, you have to work to be on good terms with the biological family and never say anything negative about them to their kids.”

Words of wisdom: “Love isn't always enough,” says Glenda. She says it's important to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered by Children's Aid, such as courses in caring for high-risk infants, dealing with developmental issues and responding to signs and symptoms of sexual abuse. “You also need a strong support system, and you have to connect with other foster parents so that you know you aren't alone in dealing with some of the challenges,” says Glenda.


Words from ME!
"Most important thing; is to build trust. Care for these children; genuinely. Be patient. Encourage them. Uplift them. Observe what their gifts are and the areas they can excel and play on that. If I had someone by my side at 12...14 years of age...who took note of what my gifts were, I would be a best selling author today. Or a mighty good lawyer (lol). So today, I am determined to build my children and inspire them to be the best they can be." Elizabeth Correia

Monday, June 18, 2012

I am READY!




I am up getting ready to head out to school and suddenly realized I have not blogged in awhile. I got caught up with the book launch 'planning' and neglected my blog. I am sure you understand.

I have been up late at nights answering calls from friends and acquaintances...even strangers who are reading If You Played In My Playground and let me tell you; I am blown away at the responses and feedback of this book. I had no idea it would have the impact it has had and I had no idea lives would be transformed. I wrote the book for a few reasons and one of them was in hopes that the reader would find some form of healing and faith through my trials and tribulations. However, for some reason I am still shocked at how many have been empowered by "My Story."

The other two reason i wrote the memoir was to release "my secrets" I mean everything we hold back; becomes a secret. Whatever no one knows is a secret. I was tired of the "weight"
I wanted to be set free and let go of the guilt. All my life i had no idea what i would do to get rid of some of the shame and guilt i carried (for too many years). I held secrets only to save those that did me wrong. I told half stories so that "they" didn't look too bad. But, in doing so, i left myself with secrets and shame. "We" are the cause to our shame. Because if something is a secret and no one knows then why are we ashamed? Well, because it's hidden WITHIN us. Therefore the feeling of "shame" is coming from within.

What did i do? I wrote my story. I let it all out on paper. The TRUTH! And as i was writing, the weight began to lift off. The chains were unlocked. I was set free. Free to be. Free to Live. Free to LOVE! The Truth shall indeed set you FREE!

The moment i held my very first book, the tears began to roll down my eyes. Too many years i have been held back from fulfilling my purpose and calling here on earth. There was so much God wanted me to do but He was only giving me a bit at a time. I couldn't understand why i was not moving forward or why i was not a "finisher" I was a great "starter" but i was not able to finish things before i just gave up or moved on to the next thing. Especially concerning my career and education.

Today, i speak freely. I hold nothing back. I say what i need to say with LOVE and i keep it moving. I am free from anger. Bitterness. Sadness and bondage. I have never been so at peace and i have never experienced such inner joy. I am in love with The Truth. My pastor began to speak "truth" into my life (The Kingdom of God- The Word) 5 months ago and so he had already planted the seed. Then i survived a brain surgery (Dec 2011) which took me to another level of "Truth" and now the final conformation (that i must live by truth) was the release of my memoir.

I am ready for the next stage in my life. I have decided to take my book to another level. Some of you are probably guessing what that is. But as you know i do not like to share too much of what i am doing until "it is DONE" (lol) Stay tuned, as i trust i will have great news in the next coming weeks.

The e-book version of the book will be uploaded to my author site www.elizabethcorreia.comin the next couple of weeks (or sooner) we are currently going through corrections in the book to ensure it is ready for.....(can't tell) lol

Have a blessed and prosperous week.

Sealed with Love

Ms.Elizabeth

Thursday, June 7, 2012

On My Journey....To Fulfill My Purpose!

On behalf of Elizabeth and the team of people who made the Book Release and Intimate Soiree event possible, we extend our gratitude to everyone who attended. Your generosity and ongoing support toward Elizabeth and her story is helping to deliver a clear message that provides hope, inspiration, healing, forgiveness, motivation, courage, empowerment, self-fulfillment, love, and faith to many individuals who have ever felt alone.


There has been an outpour of positive feedback from those who attended the event, and we are now certain that the message of finding happiness and faith through trials and tribulations was received. The energy that filled the room at The Vue on Thursday, May 31, changed a lot of people. The room filled with tears as Elizabeth’s heart-felt words expressed a painful tragedy that taught many people what it means to have courage and be a survivor. Her community generosity, involvement with the church, entrepreneurial spirit, love for her family and friends, and her enthusiastic personality, has shown how important it is to remain connected to the world around us.

The book, If You Played In My Playground, is going to be re-edited as well as adding a few minor changes to the layout. With some complications that arose in the editing stages, we want to be certain that all required changes are made before launching the book in book stores and online. Understanding the reader’s opinion of the book is an important factor in the future success of Elizabeth’s story. We are currently aware of some mistakes throughout the book; however, we welcome your comments. Please do not be shy in submitting this information as it allows us to verify the content.

Your input can be emailed to melgordon2006@yahoo.ca . Please indicate the chapter and page number along with the error. This has been a new and exciting journey for many of us, and we hope in the final stages of the project to deliver an error free book with a focus on Elizabeth’s empowering message. We know, through her determination, she will share this with the world.

Sincerely,

Melanie Gordon
Public Relations/Communication Specialist
melgordon2006@yahoo.ca
519-590-6436

ShareThis