Story
The Spirit Of Giving Highlight: Nikki Jackson Of Beyond Fostering, Inc. Gives Hope To 25 Foster Kids This Season
Our youth are faced with many whirlwind-like obstacles, some a little bit more than others. However, with the help from people like Nikki Jackson, founder of Beyond Fostering, Inc., the challenges of those who need a little bit more hope are made possible. Jackson founded Beyond Fostering, Inc. in the sprouting season of May this year. It wasn’t until after her journey of being a seasoned foster parent for over 18 years that Jackson became impregnated mentally with the fuel to help as many kids as possible in the foster care system have a brighter future. Giving birth through her passion sparked fulfillment of her vision in providing new concepts for children in CPS custody, facilitating accessible outreach programs, and innovating breakthroughs for not only foster children but foster parents as well. Jackson implemented support groups, parenting classes, one-on-one counseling, enrichment activities, crisis intervention, and many more programs. Beyond Fostering’s mission is dedicated to helping aid in improving the lives of foster children that goes beyond the basic needs of wellness and safety. Through values of integrity, compassion, and commitment, while offering support and advocacy, Beyond Fostering creates normalcy for all foster children. During the holidays and especially Christmas time kids are needing a little bit more hope and to be celebrated with lots of love. On this Saturday, December 15, 2018, Beyond Fostering, Inc. will host a ‘Beyond The Christmas Experience’ for 25 kids and their parents to enjoy a night of fun, food, and entertainment. We got wind of this moving event and was able to get a brief interview with Jackson. HSM: Where do you see the most need for foster children? Nikki: In the United States there are at least 422,000 children in the foster care system, this number can increase or decrease daily. Nearly half of those children are in need of non-relative foster homes, and due to the high number, no other options are available. Some major needs are more foster care homes, adoption placement and support from the agencies and CPS. These children need a very strong and caring support system that they can feel comfortable in opening up. Foster children also need more resources such as financial, education, career, and peer support that will help them along their journey in foster care. HSM: What is your advice for anyone seeking to become foster parents? Nikki: Fostering is extremely rewarding. Passion has to be at the forefront. Foster parenting can be very challenging at times. It requires the parent to practice patience and have an understanding of the mental phases the child can have. Your normal routine can change on a daily basis. Having a good support system in place plays a key factor in being a successful foster parent. It requires choosing to love through the emotional pain, not only for the child but everyone in the home. Foster parenting is also a very enjoyable and memorable experience. HSM: What spewed your passion to start Beyond Fostering, Inc.? Nikki: Being a foster parent is my passion and purpose God gave me. My mother was a foster to adoptive mom and she left a legacy for me to continue. After being a foster mom for over 15 years, I felt the need to do more. I wanted to make a difference and impact on the kids in foster care that one day they may look back, and see someone really cared. I watched so many children go in and out of the foster care system with no hope on their future. My goal is to better the lives of children in foster care and provide them with a sense of normalcy so that they can have a brighter future. Many children and foster parents are not properly educated on their rights or limited to minimum resources. My ultimate goal is to be the voice for kids in foster care and bridge the gap between foster and bio families. It’s a beautiful and rewarding feeling knowing that the sacrifices you made today contributed to a child in foster care future. HSM: How can those who want to get involved help Beyond Fostering, Inc.? Nikki: Throughout the year we have several volunteer opportunities for our events. In 2019, we will be starting a mentorship program and will be looking for mentors to spearhead the programs. They can contact our office at 281-617-8136. Be sure to follow Beyond Fostering, Inc. on Facebook for updates and forthcoming events.
Story
Cheryl Thomas Fortune: A Fighter Winning the Battle of Life
Music has always been a constant in Cheryl Thomas Fortune’s life. From taking piano lessons as a child to singing in the high school as a teen to continuing her passion into a booming professional career as an adult, music is her friend. And this friend, coupled with her love for God and her faith in Him, has allowed her to weather through some pretty tough storms and come out as a fighter winning the battle of life.
Story
Mary Trump’s Disturbingly Credible Assessment Of Her ‘Dangerous’ Uncle Donald
Tell-All Book Makes It Clear That Our President ‘Is’ A Dangerous Man
No one will ever fully explain Donald Trump: the cruelty, the vanity, the insecurity converted to massive overconfidence. However, in “Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Cre- ated the World’s Most Dangerous Man,” his niece Mary L. Trump comes closer than anyone to describing the making of a seemingly heartless person who won his way to the White House.
Story
Back-to-School Meals in Minutes
Mexican menu ideas for simple family dinners
When the school year is back in full swing, families often find themselves battling the mealtime crunch. Mexican-inspired meals bursting with flavor are known family-friendly picks that can be easily prepared and put on the table on those frenzied weeknights.
Story
Deadline Nears for Public Comment on 2020 Census Controversies
Before the public comment period on the 2020 Census closes at 11:59 pm on August 7, civil rights organizations continue to amplify the clarion call to Americans to denounce the inclusion of a "citizenship question" on the final census form - a question as to whether respondents are U.S. citizens.
Story
NAREB Takes Fight for Black Homeownership to Congressional Hearing Hicks tells lawmakers: Black-White 'economic divide' was created by U. S. Government
The rate of Black homeownership in America - now at 41.1 percent, according to 2019 U. S. Census numbers - is even lower than it was when the U. S. Fair Housing Act was signed into law 51 years ago on April 11, 1968.
Story
AboutThatCar.com: 2020 Kia Telluride
Kia may have hit on the right product at the right time with its all-new 2020 Telluride, a midsize but large three rowed crossover.
Story
The shutdown: A duel of proposals, votes and narratives
This week there will be dueling proposals to reopen the government. There will be dueling votes to reopen the government. There will be dueling narratives about who is serious about reopening the government.
Story
5 Things for November 8: A Night of Firsts
Now that Twitter's given everyone 280 characters to opine, let me know what else you'd like to see in this newsletter. You can find me @CNNDoug. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
Story
EXPERIENCE THE GREAT OUTDOORS AT CANYON MADNESS RANCH IN NEW MEXICO
Experience Canyon Madness Ranch, a truly luxurious outdoor playground that is spectacularly beautiful and tranquil.
Story
Apple Releases M1 Next- GenMac New MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac Mini All Powered By M1, Apple’s New Breakthrough Chip for The Mac
On a momentous day for the Mac, Apple today introduced a new MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro, and Mac mini powered by the revolutionary M1, the first in a family of chips designed by Apple specifically for the Mac. By far the most powerful chip Apple has ever made, M1 transforms the Mac experience. With its industry-leading performance per watt, together with macOS Big Sur, M1 delivers up to 3.5x faster CPU, up to 6x faster GPU, up to 15x faster machine learning (ML) capabilities, and battery life up to 2x longer than before. And with M1 and Big Sur, users get access to the biggest collection of apps ever for Mac. With amazing performance and remarkable new features, the new lineup of M1-powered Macs are an incredible value, and all are available to order today.
Story
How to help your kids get enough sleep, especially during the Covid pandemic
Getting enough sleep was tough even before the pandemic. With disrupted routines, extra screen time and the incredible amount of stress most people face now, sleep routines seem to have gone quickly but quietly downhill. And from what I'm seeing in my child psychiatry practice — kids are suffering especially hard.
Story
The US pandemic at one year: Looking back at the week everything changed, and looking forward
This week's news coverage of the coronavirus will toggle between retrospectives about the one-year anniversary of the pandemic and forward-looking reports about vaccines and variants. I have compiled what some news outlets are doing to mark the moment, but first, here is a flashback to twelve months ago.
Story
HOUSTON TEXANS AND PARTNERS AWARD $400,000 TO 15 LOCAL NONPROFITS
The Houston Texans awarded $400,000 through the Inspire Change Grant Fund to 15 local nonprofits and education programs.
Story
Black FedEx Driver Allegedly Shot at by White Father and Son
Gibson told CNN he was delivering packages to a home in Brookhaven, Mississippi, around 7 p.m. January 24 when he saw a white pickup truck coming from the house behind it. The truck approached Gibson and blew the horn at him, Gibson said.
Story
The Redneck Shop was a hub for the KKK. Years after the store's closure, a Southern city is reckoning with this history
A version of this story appeared in CNN's Race Deconstructed newsletter. To get it in your inbox every week, sign up for free here.
Story
Escaped Pennsylvania prisoner now armed with a stolen rifle and ‘extremely dangerous,’ police say
The convicted killer who escaped from an eastern Pennsylvania prison nearly two weeks ago is considered “armed and extremely dangerous” after he stole a rifle from the garage of a local homeowner, who fired several shots at the fugitive as he fled, police said Tuesday.
Story
A Cut Above: All-New 2024 GMC Acadia is Bigger, Bolder, More Advanced and More Luxurious Than Ever
2024 GMC Acadia sets new standard for premium SUVs; greater versatility, sophisticated interior and exterior design, advanced tech and luxe cabin experience Longer, wider and taller; Acadia brings increased passenger spaciousness, with extended third-row cargo space and increased front-row leg room Cutting-edge technology upgrades include portrait-oriented 15-inch-diagonal infotainment screen, available Super Cruise hands-free driver assistance feature and compatible Google built-in technology Most capable Acadia AT4 ever with lifted ride height, Active Torque Control AWD system and off-road suspension
Story
Donato Cabrera Guest Conducts the Houston Symphony in Fiesta Sinfónica on October 13, 2023
Mexican-American conductor Donato Cabrera will guest conduct the Houston Symphony on Friday October 13, 2023 at 7:30pm at Jones Hall for the Performing Arts (615 Louisiana Street). Cabrera joins the Houston Symphony for its annual Fiesta Sinfónica, a free performance that dates back to 1992, celebrating the musical contributions of Latin American and Hispanic composers. The program for this special performance includes Márquez’s Conga del Fuego Nuevo, Rosas’ Sobre las Olas (Over the Waves), Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, Contreras’ MeChicano (Texas premiere), the third movement from Orbón’s Tres versiones, and Bernstein’s “Symphonic Dances” from West Side Story. Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez is the soloist for Rhapsody in Blue, which will celebrate its centennial anniversary in 2024.
Story
President Donald J. Trump's State of the Union Address
Less than 1 year has passed since I first stood at this podium, in this majestic chamber, to speak on behalf of the American People -- and to address their concerns, their hopes, and their dreams. That night, our new Administration had already taken swift action. A new tide of optimism was already sweeping across our land.
