Left to right: Nicole Pashia, MA Program Manager
Shamari Logan, Foster Care Case Manager
Moriah Tageson, MSW Supervisor Manager
Kathleen and I frequently hear of instances in which our incredible team at Our Little Haven goes beyond what is asked of them when caring for the children and families. This last summer we learned of a weekend night where three members of our foster care team exemplified what it means to care for children and families the Our Little Haven way. We are excited to invite Shamari to share this story with our community.
I am a Foster Care Case Manager at Our Little Haven’s Taylor Family Care Center. I happened to be the team member on-call when I received an update that a young run-a-way child was wanting to return to her foster home. Normally, I would receive this call with a sigh of relief, but it was May of 2020 and our world was figuring out how to endure through a pandemic.
The foster parent had her own personal health concerns and because of COVID-19 she was unable to take the child back into her home. My next step was taking the young child to the hospital for an evaluation. After several hours of waiting, the child was released into Our Little Haven’s care and we left the hospital at two in the morning.
During this time, I never felt that I was managing this alone. My manager Nicole and supervisor Moriah were both working hard to find a new foster family. I received constant updates and I was given support through the entire evening. With no foster family available and nowhere else to go, we headed to the safety of the Taylor Family Care Center.
With a full belly, the child was sound asleep. I was finally able to relax but never truly fell asleep. Morning came and Moriah and Nicole contacted me to let me know a new foster family had been found. Before taking the kid to the new foster family, I grabbed clothes, toiletries, and gift cards – all things donated by our generous community to help in situations like this.
While this is not something that happens often, I am grateful for my talented teammates and the support of our community for helping provide a haven for children and families in crisis.
– Shamari Logan, Foster Care Case Manager
Kathleen and I are humbled and honored to work with such a dedicated team here at Our Little Haven. None of this is possible without the generosity and support of our community. You allow our team to go above and beyond for the children and families at Our Little Haven. On behalf of those we serve together, we thank you. We invite you to continue that
support by making a gift in honor of the children and families this Holiday season.
Sincerely,
Scott Hummel PhD (hon), MSW
Executive Director