Angelo, age 4, was beginning to adjust to the idea that he was going to be adopted by his maternal grandparents because his mom had given up her parental rights. She was struggling with substance abuse. Claudia, a Wayfinder mental health therapist, was helping Angelo work through his emotions. Despite her struggles, Angelo’s mom, Emilia,…
The first hint of trouble came when 16-year-old Sergio was playing baseball. “Less central vision in my left eye was making it harder to see the ball,” he recalls. “I was getting hit in the face by the baseball.” As he sought answers, he began to lose central vision in his right eye. The rest…
TJ is an adorable 18-month-old boy with a big personality. He is sociable, friendly and determined. When he was born, he gave his parents, Katharine and Tra’Len, a big surprise. Their baby was blond, with light eyes. Everyone in the family has dark hair and eyes. They learned that TJ had a form of albinism,…
Why is community the answer? Since Wayfinder’s founding, we have been building community. In the organization’s early years, we gave children who were blind a chance to meet and befriend other children like them. At Camp Bloomfield, on trips to the circus and at dances, they built a community. We continue to build and nurture…
What have you learned about the power of community? Social connection is very important to well-being. Last year, the focus of The Conversation, Wayfinder’s annual panel discussion on important issues in human services, was the health impact of loneliness. Our panelists discussed research in the Surgeon General’s 2023 report on the epidemic of loneliness and…
Herminia and Gerardo wanted so much to be parents. After unsuccessful fertility treatments, they thought about helping children who needed homes. A family friend recommended Wayfinder for fostering children with the potential to adopt. Wayfinder trained and certified Herminia and Gerardo as foster parents The couple was excited—and a little nervous—when they received call in…
