In his 21 years, Trayvon Chapman said, he never had a Christmas dinner like this, one spent with so many friends, one where the food was so lovingly prepared, one where he was so happy.
That's because, as a result of his mother's drug addiction, he had spent 11 years bouncing from one foster home to the next, never getting a chance to feel connected to anyone or anything. And when he turned 18, the inevitable news came. "You're emancipated. You're on your own," he recalls his social worker telling him.
He may be on his own now, but on Wednesday, Chapman did not have to spend the holiday season alone. He and about 200 young people who have recently been emancipated from foster care turned out for a special Christmas dinner and gift-giving ceremony in Culver City hosted by the Alumni Resource Center.
The center, supported by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, offers such emancipated young people job training, computer classes, financial assistance, clothing stipends and other services. It organized the event as an additional effort to show its clients that they are not forgotten just because they are 18 and older and no longer eligible for foster care.
"This was a chance to do something special for the youth we serve," said Michael Verner, social worker at the center. "It lets them know we're not just here at Christmas, but we're here all year long."
Chapman agreed. A former security guard who lives in transitional housing provided in Whittier for emancipated young people, he is unemployed but optimistic about finding work. "It makes me feel good, like they care," he said of the party. "It's a gift to me. I accept it as a Christmas gift, as a blessing from God."
The auditorium of the Veterans Memorial Building brimmed with the holiday spirit as the group laughed, danced and shared common stories. Volunteers staffed tables at which the guests could pick up such holiday gifts as winter jackets, sweaters, hats, shoes and personal accessories--all donated by private and corporate sponsors. The turkey and ham dinner was provided by Frank O'Day, director of the catering division of Restaurant Associates at the Los Angeles Music Center, and by Trade Tech Culinary School, which enlisted its students to prepare the meal.
The gesture was not lost on Jennifer Lambright. "This meant so much to me," said the 20-year-old, her voice choked with emotion, her eyes filled with tears. "These people are like my second family."
