OCJ Kids Receives $20,000 from The Thunderbirds Charities to Provide Healing and Restoration for Abused Foster Girls
The Thunderbirds Charities provides a generous grant to OCJ Kids to help foster girls recover from the emotional and mental trauma of pre-foster care abuse.
Phoenix, AZ, July 31, 2024 --(PR.com)-- The Thunderbirds Charities provided $20,000 to OCJ Kids to help restore the dignity, hope and self-confidence that was stolen from girls after being shattered by pre-foster care abuse. Through the program, the girls receive help to cope with, and overcome, the impacts of past abuse; engage in life skills development activities to build their self-confidence and resilience; and participate in OCJ Kids' post-secondary education, career planning, internships and other activities to help prepare them for a successful life after foster care.
The program will take place in OCJ Kids’ Thunderbirds Charities Restoring Dignity Room. Additional program activities include providing the girls with undergarments that fit, as many experience pain by wearing items that are too small because their past abuse makes it difficult to ask for new ones; providing monthly cycle and hygiene products; cutting and styling their hair; teaching them about how to care for their bodies as they go through puberty and beyond; and engaging them in educational workshops, discussions and training activities to help them overcome the pain of abuse, improve their self-esteem, and develop resilience. The grant will provide all these services for at least 500 girls in 2024-25.
“We are so grateful to the Thunderbirds Charities for this grant,” said Gary Webb, President and Founder. "The pre-foster care abuse these girls experienced impacts so many areas of their lives, including their self-confidence and ability to cope with adversity. For others, it makes it difficult to ask for undergarments that fit, monthly products, and other personal items. When they come to our Restoring Dignity Room, they are greeted and served by our caring female staff who provide these items, teach them about changes that occur during puberty, discuss how to cope with past abuse, and assist in other ways. We also help prepare teen girls for life after foster care through vocational and other activities. The Thunderbirds Charities’ grant will help us provide resources and services to help these girls heal, gain confidence and resilience, and prepare for a brighter future.”
About The Thunderbirds Charities and The Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds Charities Board consists of 15 board members from varying professional backgrounds. The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to support organizations that assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. In addition, The Thunderbirds began in 1937 when the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce expanded its role as a convention and tourism bureau. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 300 “life” members. For more information about The Thunderbirds or the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com. For more information about the Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.
About OCJ Kids
OCJ (Opportunity, Community and Justice for Foster) Kids was founded after Gary Webb, who had extensive experience conducting programs to benefit at-risk youth, was invited to tour a foster group home. He learned about the many struggles and challenges the youth faced and the services they needed, but were not receiving. These included having physical, mental and emotional health issues caused by pre-foster abuse, the stress of being away from their family, and the fear of turning 18 when they would be required to exit foster care. OCJ Kids’ mission is to provide Opportunity, create Community, and fight for Justice for foster and at-risk kids. For more information, please go to www.ocjkids.org. Office: 21630 North 9th Avenue, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85027 Phone: 602-439-2171
The program will take place in OCJ Kids’ Thunderbirds Charities Restoring Dignity Room. Additional program activities include providing the girls with undergarments that fit, as many experience pain by wearing items that are too small because their past abuse makes it difficult to ask for new ones; providing monthly cycle and hygiene products; cutting and styling their hair; teaching them about how to care for their bodies as they go through puberty and beyond; and engaging them in educational workshops, discussions and training activities to help them overcome the pain of abuse, improve their self-esteem, and develop resilience. The grant will provide all these services for at least 500 girls in 2024-25.
“We are so grateful to the Thunderbirds Charities for this grant,” said Gary Webb, President and Founder. "The pre-foster care abuse these girls experienced impacts so many areas of their lives, including their self-confidence and ability to cope with adversity. For others, it makes it difficult to ask for undergarments that fit, monthly products, and other personal items. When they come to our Restoring Dignity Room, they are greeted and served by our caring female staff who provide these items, teach them about changes that occur during puberty, discuss how to cope with past abuse, and assist in other ways. We also help prepare teen girls for life after foster care through vocational and other activities. The Thunderbirds Charities’ grant will help us provide resources and services to help these girls heal, gain confidence and resilience, and prepare for a brighter future.”
About The Thunderbirds Charities and The Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds Charities is a non-profit organization formed in 1986 to distribute monies raised through the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament. The Thunderbirds Charities Board consists of 15 board members from varying professional backgrounds. The mission of Thunderbirds Charities is to support organizations that assist children and families, help people in need and improve the quality of life in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. In addition, The Thunderbirds began in 1937 when the Phoenix Chamber of Commerce expanded its role as a convention and tourism bureau. The Thunderbirds consist of 55 “active” members and more than 300 “life” members. For more information about The Thunderbirds or the 2025 WM Phoenix Open, visit www.wmphoenixopen.com. For more information about the Thunderbirds Charities, visit www.thunderbirdscharities.org.
About OCJ Kids
OCJ (Opportunity, Community and Justice for Foster) Kids was founded after Gary Webb, who had extensive experience conducting programs to benefit at-risk youth, was invited to tour a foster group home. He learned about the many struggles and challenges the youth faced and the services they needed, but were not receiving. These included having physical, mental and emotional health issues caused by pre-foster abuse, the stress of being away from their family, and the fear of turning 18 when they would be required to exit foster care. OCJ Kids’ mission is to provide Opportunity, create Community, and fight for Justice for foster and at-risk kids. For more information, please go to www.ocjkids.org. Office: 21630 North 9th Avenue, Suite 103, Phoenix, AZ 85027 Phone: 602-439-2171
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OCJ Kids
Gary Webb
602-439-2171
Gary Webb
602-439-2171
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