17-Year-Old Organizes Innovative Program For Teens In Foster Care

TAMPA, FL — Nationally known speakers who obtained success after growing up in foster homes will be in Tampa Saturday to participate in an all-day virtual event called “Define Yourself," designed to inspire and provide resources to teens in foster care who will soon age out of the foster care system.

The event is being hosted with the support of the United Way Suncoast, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Tampa Bay Lightning, Girl Scouts of West Central Florida, Hyundai of New Port Richey and former State Rep. and Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandra Murman.

And it's all been organized by a 17-year-old high school junior who lives in Westchase.

Gabriella Gillen, who attend the online Liahona Preparatory Academy in Utah, said she first became interested in helping foster children when she befriended some foster children at her church. Through them, Gillen learned that children are often taken from abusive or neglectful parents will no notice and must leave their homes with only the clothes on their back or, a most, a trash bag containing some clothes and a favorite stuffed animal.

When she began to work on her Silver Award in Girl Scouting at the age of 14, she recalled what her friends in foster care told her about their first nights away from home. Their experience gave her the inspiration for TLC Bedtime Bags, containing necessities like pajamas, toothbrushes and toothpaste and comforts like a stuffed animal.

"They're scared and confused, and they don’t understand what's going on," Gillen said. "Can you imagine if strangers suddenly took you away from your home in the middle of the night?"

Seeking donations from area businesses, Gillen was able to put together 50 TLC bags and recruit volunteers to make 50 more, earning her Girl Scouting's second-highest honor.

Now she's going for the gold - that Gold Award, that is, the highest honor in Girl Scouting, equivalent to the Eagle Award in the Boy Scouts.

The Gold Award is much more challenging. To earn it, an individual Girl Scout most come up with a project that encompasses 100 hours of her time, is sustainable, meaning the project must continue on, and has a measurable impact on the population being served.

Once again, Gillen turned her attention to the children who are growing up without parents - sometimes in foster homes and sometimes in foster shelters. This time she focused on teens age 14 to 18 who soon will age out of the Florida foster care system and be on their own.

"I wanted to find a way to inspire these teens in foster care," she said. "Yes, they've lived through traumatic experiences but that doesn't mean those challenges define who they are."

Gillen decided the best way to convince foster teens that are able to "Define Yourself" is to introduce them to some former foster kids who are confident, successful and have a strong sense of who they are and what they want out of life.

Finding speakers that fit her criteria wasn't as daunting as she thought it would be. Gillen simply tuned into a national Podcast called "Foster Strong," that features the stories of former foster children who have become successful.

Once she identified her speakers, it was simply at matter of reaching out and asking. All enthusiastically agreed to participate.

"They were all extremely excited to take part," said Gillen.

Speakers include Slam Anderson, a slam poet and the outreach and program director for The Kitchen Table Literary Arts Center, a nonprofit organization that specializes in supporting Black women and other women of color who are literary artists. Gillen said Anderson has been writing poetry and journaling since she was young and credits writing with helping her get through some of her most difficult times as a foster child.

Also on the program is Lino Martinez, who was in foster care from age 5 to 18 and went on to study art, architecture and the environment at the University of California in Santa Barbara. He currently lives in Washington, D.C., where he works for the House of Representatives.

The day's third speaker is Candi Marie, who spent age 7 to 17 in the foster care system in Jacksonville where she experienced neglect, molestation and abuse.

She went on to attend the University of Central Florida, graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies, with a focus in mass communications, English and sociology.

She's now an actress, producer and television host. She has co-hosted segments on radio and TV broadcasts such as "Afterbuzz TV," and nationally syndicated talk shows "The Real," "The Steve Harvey Morning Shows" and "All Def Music." In 2018, she was cast as the lead for her first Indie film "Orphaned."

Additionally, Gillen partnered with Opportunity Passport, a program by Suncoast Voices for Children that targets teens who are aging out of the system, providing them with budgeting and financial training once they're on their own.

The state of Florida provides tuition for foster children to attend college but there is rarely money for college necessities like books for classes, notebooks and backpacks.

Working with Murman who donated the first scholarship, Gillen established the Sandy Murman Define Yourself College Scholarship and is currently seeking donors to pledge $500 to $1,000.

On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 28 foster teens will participate in the first virtual "Define Yourself" program including teens from area foster shelters New Life Village in Tampa, A Kid’s Place in Brandon and Everyday Blessings in Thonotosassa.

Chick-fil-A at Westfield Citrus Park is donating food for the foster teens attending the virtual event and Gillen has collected donated prizes for participants.

Although Gillen made all the contacts, did all the footwork, collected all donations and recruited foster teens to participate, she said her father set the example for her charitable endeavors and provided inspiration.

Jim Gillen, the senior vice president of communications and marketing for the nonprofit United Way Suncoast, is naturally proud of his daughter.

She's "an amazing young lady who has dedicated much of her teen years to helping children in foster care find hope and help during a difficult time in their life," Gillen said. "Every teen - no matter what circumstance they were born into - deserves to be empowered. It is our mission to help teens in care today gain the confidence, opportunities and experience they need to achieve great things in their individual lives."

Anyone interested in pledging scholarship funds or learning more about the program can email Gabriella Gillen at Gabbie@DefineYourselfEvent.com or visit her website.

Gabriella Gillen interviews former Florida Rep. and Hillsborough County Commissioner Sandy Murman for her "Define Yourself" social media sites.