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This Side of Seven Freedom From Want
of SEVEN – By Jason Pederson Freedom from WANT
Over the course of nearly 50 years, American artist Norman “My life changed the day I saw my uncle get arrested,” Steve says. Rockwell created 321 covers for The Saturday Evening Post, many focused on holiday traditions. In fact, the idea of “a Norman Rockwell Christmas” became an aspiration for many families. But for young adults who age out of foster care, the large family gatherings and tender sentiments on display in Rockwell’s paintings seem impossible.
“It kind of hurts,” says 22-year-old Faith. “I actually had a mental breakdown the other day because it hurts knowing that I don’t have a family to go to, and I don’t have somewhere that I can go spend holidays.”
Faith spent nearly 10 years in Arkansas’ foster care system. Rockwell didn’t paint any pictures of a 9 year-old spending Christmas in unfamiliar surroundings, removed from her home after calling the police on her mother’s abusive boyfriend.
“Mom had guys in and out her whole life,” Faith recalls. “I remember her pretty much giving me a box of my stuff and saying, ‘Here you go,’ and just dropping me off at the DHS office.”
Faith says that over the next nine years, she had over 100 different foster care placements. The longest lasted 21 months. Many lasted less than a week.
“I was going to these adoption fairs,” Faith says. “When I was 15 or 16, I was told I had an adoptive family, and I was going to go live with them for six weeks. And if they decide that they want you, then you can stay. All I know was the dad was a police officer, and the mother was a stay-at-home mom. And the same day that I was supposed to go live with them, they just canceled it all.”
Steve didn’t enter the foster care system until he was 17. He remembers the date: Dec. 19, 2019.
“All I came into foster care with was my PS4 and a few clothes,” says the 20-year-old. “That was it.”
Raised by his uncle from birth, Steve says a series of close deaths affected his uncle’s mental health, and the two of them became combative. As in Faith’s case, the police were called. “The day when I sat there and I saw him get arrested, I knew there was no one watching me. I knew what was going to happen.” What happened was Steve was put into the back of a squad car in Little Rock, and an hour later, he stepped out of that car and walked into a group home in Hot Springs. He spent Christmas with strangers and without gifts. Again, no Rockwell painting captures that holiday memory. “I get nostalgic sometimes, and I miss the old days when I was young,” he says. “But now, since I’m older, I kind of just accept that I don’t have to have the kind of family that comes together. I’m satisfied that I have my own family and go from there.” Both Faith and Steve are doing much better now, and they credit Immerse Arkansas for helping them avoid the grim statistics that await teenagers who age out of foster care. “At Immerse, we surround young people who age out of care with unconditional relationships, tools that anticipate their needs and dreams, and a vision for a restored future,” says Immerse founder and Executive Director Eric Gilmore. “Through supportive housing, life skills training, mentoring and more, our goal is to help young people achieve self-sufficiency and inspire lifelong flourishing.” Immerse Arkansas serves about 100 youth in crisis every month through various programs. The nonprofit can provide “Freedom from Want” painting by Norman Rockwell shelter for up to 30 young people through its supportive housing program at any given time. There is currently a wait list of about ten young adults. Both Steve and Faith have been through the program, and it helped them secure two things that many young adults take for granted: safety and stability. “I was homeless for three years,” Faith says. “I used to sleep under the bridge that crosses the Arkansas River at Fort Smith. It’s not ideal to live on the streets. I did it, and it’s not fun. You’re worried all the time about where your next meal is coming from, where am I gonna stay, what’s
going to happen to me being a female unprotected in the streets with nowhere to go.”
Faith’s journey led her to Immerse and a familiar face, LifeBASE Coach Tosha Jeffries. Jeffries spent a decade working at a Little Rock treatment center, and she and Faith crossed paths several times in the past. Immerse immediately helped Faith with shelter, clothes and food. Then she got assistance with obtaining insurance, getting birth certificates and social security cards, child support and childcare and learning the bus system. Eventually, Faith transitioned to still supported but more independent living.
“It’s been really, really nice to see her grow even after leaving LifeBASE care, the transitional homes,” Jeffries says. “It’s just been awesome still working with her and continuing this rapport with her and her kids. She is choosing to be a wonderful mother.”
Faith and her two children share an apartment in North Little Rock with her boyfriend. One-time stipends from the state, available to teens who elect to remain in extended foster care past the age of 17, helped Faith secure and furnish the apartment. Monthly rent support helps her keep it, but she also works and is taking online classes. Faith will earn a certificate in early childhood education this spring.
“If somebody is offering you free help, take it,” Steve advises. “I was ready to leave and just get away from [foster care]. But my sister ended up talking to me and saying stay in there and take all the benefits you can get, everything they offer you.”
Steve also relied on Immerse to help him transition from unsettled teen to responsible adult. He now shares a townhouse with his young daughter, his wife, Courtney, and Courtney’s mother.
“I got pregnant at 19, and Steve told me to stop working,” Courtney says. “He didn’t want me working at all. He wanted to pay all the bills. He works hard. He works two jobs, seven days a week, 10 hours every single day just to take care of me. And my mom. And our baby. All the bills. And our place.”
“Steve and Faith have overcome so much, and are still working hard to keep going,” Gilmore says. “We’re all incredibly proud of them and each of the young people that we serve who are doing the hard work of transformation on a daily basis.”
Faith and Steve are two of the more than 200 teens who age out of foster care every year in Arkansas. Without support, many of those young adults struggle to find reliable shelter, transportation and employment. Addiction, homelessness and incarceration can follow. According to Immerse, there are over 1,000 homeless youth in central Arkansas alone.
With support, often provided by one caring adult, these same young people can overcome adverse childhood experiences. In fact, Immerse refers to the young people they serve as overcomers. But the holidays are still a tough time, as Rockwell-esque depictions of family gatherings are impossible to avoid.
“I don’t want my kids to grow up … knowing that we don’t have a big family like everybody else does,” Faith admits. The large families depicted in many of Rockwell’s paintings didn’t happen overnight. They took generations to create. They took love, commitment and time. In 50 years, both Steve and Faith have the potential to be loving grandparents, serving a big turkey to family around their holiday table. It’s what they want — a freedom from want — and it’s a painting and a future that no longer seems impossible. “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish,” Steve asserts. Steve, Courtney, and their daughter inside their Little Rock town house
Faith and Tosha inside Faith’s NLR apartment
JASON PEDERSON
For two decades, Jason Pederson served as KATV-Channel 7’s Seven On Your Side reporter. Now on the other “side” of his award-winning time on the news, he now serves as Deputy Chief of Community Engagement for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. His perspective-filled and thought-provoking column, “This Side of Seven,” publishes exclusively in AY About You magazine monthly.
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Bradford House provides skilled professional care in a quality of care which celebrates the dignity compassionate and supportive atmosphere. Our licensed and grace of every single resident. nurses, physicians, optometrists, dentists and other specialists believe that building strong relationships with 1202 SE 30th Street residents and families is essential to the healing process. The Bentonville, AR 72712 entire staff is devoted to providing the quality of care which 479.273.3430 celebrates the dignity and grace of every single resident. BradfordHouseNR.com
Bradford House provides skilled professional care in a compassionate and supportive atmosphere. Our licensed nurses, physicians, optometrists, dentists and other specialists believe that building strong relationships with residents and families is essential to the healing process. The entire staff is devoted to providing the quality of care which celebrates the dignity and grace of every single resident.1202 SE 30th Street | Bentonville, AR 72712 | 479.273.3430
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