Brandon’s Story
Your gift will help Orangewood Foundation prepare nearly 2,000 current and former foster youth like Brandon each year to reach their greatest potential!
Helping current and former foster youth overcome their painful pasts is the reason Orangewood Foundation was formed. Each year, we work with nearly 2,000 youth, helping them prepare for adulthood with programs that offer health & wellness, housing, life skills & employment, and education services.
We’re particularly proud of the courage and determination foster youth possess. Brandon is just one example.
Brandon was in foster care for more than eight years – “eight years and seven months,” he notes. When Brandon was just nine years old, he and his four siblings were removed from their home because their mom couldn’t care for them. They had been living in a garage with one king size bed and little food or clothing.
The five children were taken in by a loving couple who became their foster parents. But, for Brandon, it felt odd being taken care of by strangers. Ultimately, he grew to love the couple as if they were his biological parents.
Today, Brandon is finishing his first year of college at U.C. Santa Cruz, thanks in part to a scholarship from Orangewood. The scholarship helps him pay for school fees, food, supplies, etc. He is majoring in business and raising his daughter, Annalise, with his girlfriend who is also in college.
Ultimately, his goal is to become either a bank manager or an English teacher – and to be a good father to Annalise.
He says, “I have two motivations for going to college. I want to graduate and have a successful career to show that foster kids can be successful. So many people look at foster kids as though they will never amount to anything. I want to prove them wrong! More personally, I want to be a role model for my daughter. I want to support her financially and give her the life she deserves.”
He adds, “I am so grateful to Orangewood Foundation and its donors. My Orangewood scholarship has made my life significantly less stressful.”
Orangewood’s donors play an important role in the journey of each current and former foster youth we work with. Charitable support helps our youth overcome a variety of challenges while learning how to embrace their skills, talents and abilities. Please consider how you can help Orangewood youth, whether through a first time or renewed gift, and make your gift below.