Foster Home Volunteer at McKinley’s!

On Saturday, April 14 at 10 a.m., Together We Rise had an amazing day hosting a foster home volunteer at McKinley Children’s Center in San Dimas. We played free-for-all dodgeball with 40 boys who live on the McKinley campus. The boys did not stray away from playing with our team; instead, the moment they saw us, their eyes lit up, excited for the activities we brought with us.

When Danny, TWR’s founder, and CEO, announced that we would be playing dodgeball and gave everyone the rules, the boys started running around throwing balls at everyone, forgetting all the rules just given. The first few rounds were brutal as some of us got hit in the face with balls, while others did their best to dodge any ball that came their way.

During the game, children laughed and shouted “Hey! You were out!” or “Yes! I’m back in!” The excitement of the game went on for 2 hours before it was time for lunch. One boy named David said, “NO! NO! NO! Please, can we play another round?” We served the boys hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream courtesy of McKinley Children’s Center chiefs.

The Executive Director of McKinley Children’s Center Foster Care and adoptions, Julissa Castillo, shared her thoughts about TWR and its founder.

“I really do appreciate everything you guys do. It means so much to these boys to come out here and have days like this. I don’t think you guys know how much of an effect you guys make. It’s an organization like Together We Rise that allows me to feel hope and believe that this is a good thing. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for Danny and Together We Rise.”

ABC7 also joined TWR at McKinley Children’s Center for the day to congratulate Danny on receiving the Jefferson Award. His work has empowered many young adults to improve the lives of children in the foster care system.

If you’re interested in participating in volunteer opportunities to support your local community while helping out kids in foster care, feel free to visit https://www.togetherwerise.org/volunteer-opportunities/