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Young Compton Women Celebrate Emancipation From Foster Care at Cinderella Ball
Young women from Compton who are being
emancipated from the county’s foster care system dance at a
recent gala held in recognition of their transition into adulthood. —Photo courtesy of
LA County photo
From
staff reports
LOS
ANGELES – Culminating the annual rites of passage social event
for troubled young women being emancipated from Los Angeles County’s
foster care system, Supervisor Yvonne B. Burke Saturday, July 26
hosted her final Cinderella Ball, a debutant-like gala celebrating
the girls’ successful transition into adulthood.
Hosted at the California Museum of Natural History in Exposition
Park, Burke delivered words of encouragement to participants of the 3rd
annual ball, the culmination of a year of one-on-one mentoring and activities
designed to make a significant impact in the lives of the diverse group
of foster girls, the most vulnerable population in the community.
All of the girls, according to Burke staffer James Bolden, are from
Compton.
Often too expensive and difficult to coordinate, many deserving young
ladies never receive an opportunity to experience the “social coming
out” associated with a debutante-like ball. The highlights of Cinderella
Ball included the foster participants dancing the waltz in beautiful evening
gowns accompanied by their equally well-dressed and well-mannered escorts.
“A debutante ball is something that because of expense and circumstance,
many deserving young ladies would never get a chance to experience.
I want to say to our young people, I am so very proud of you tonight. Cinderella
rose from difficult circumstance and became a success by her own
efforts
and with God’s grace. So will our Cinderella Ball participants.”
In preparation for the event, the girls were trained at the HerShe’s
Group Camp, which conducted an intense, summer training facilitated by
the HerShe’s Group Camp on the Pepperdine University campus in Malibu.
The training focused on key areas for success, including personal and social
development, self-esteem, forgiveness, etiquette, college and job preparation,
health and nutrition, relationships, effective communication and self-advocacy.
“They are the most vulnerable population of our community,” explained
Kenadie Cobbin, HerShe Group CEO. “Transitioning out of foster care
adds an additional layer of complexity into their lives just as they
are trying to make the expected transitions out of adolescence to adulthood.”
Burke said that despite her impending retirement she will remain
committed to creating an opportunity for children in foster care
to experience normalizing life experiences, be it fishing, swimming, a
day at the beach,
or a Merry Christmas.
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