Today we’d like to introduce you to Tonya Torosian.
Tonya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I began my work as a social worker in the foster care system in Chicago. It was my first professional job and I was not prepared for the emotional and life-changing impact it would have on my own life.
I was only 21 years old and had never heard much about foster care and with my own family being a loving and nurturing home, I could not imagine any child being abused. I met incredible children and teens who were thrown into a system after being horrifically abused by their parents. I thought that they were now safe and as a foster child would be taken care of and that they would now flourish. I learned immediately this was not the case and that during that time, the system was not a safe place for children. Often the children experienced abuse by foster family members and they were moved from home to home until they ultimately age-out at 18. I also saw first-hand that children had very little opportunity to advocate for themselves and they, unfortunately, were just not heard. Those youth, and my inability at that time to help them the way I wanted to was what committed me to work with foster youth and what motivates me still to try to help children in the foster care system be heard and get what they need to create a better future for themselves.
I have since worked in public as well as private child welfare entities as a social worker, fundraiser and administrator to make changes and improve support to foster children.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I have had many successes and challenges as my career developed. The advice I have is that you never know why you may encounter an obstacle in your path and it may very well be the exact challenge you need to see a new path or give you a skill that you didn’t even know you needed to move forward in your career. Also, most often, when I talk with other women about how they got to where they are in business, I hear that it was not a direct path or the path they planned. Rather, it was an exciting, bumpy and rewarding journey with twists and turns that shaped their career into what it is today. So, my advice is to connect with others to learn their journeys, seek mentors, and consider opportunities that are presented, even if they may not be in your plan. You just might grow into something even more than you planned.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Promises2Kids – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Promises2Kids is a San Diego based nonprofit that serves foster children. We are unique in that we are funded by donations from individuals and the community, rather than as a contracted provider for placement or treatment services. As a result, we have the flexibility to design programs and change programs to be responsive to the current needs of foster children.
We fill in the gaps of a larger child welfare public system and have had incredible outcomes for the youth! Our
Promises2Kids creates a brighter future for foster children in San Diego County. From the moment they come into foster care and through to adulthood, Promises2Kids provides the hope, support, and opportunities these individuals need to change their lives for the better…now and for years to come.
Our programs include:
• Camp Connect: Reunites sisters and brothers who are separated in the foster care system through a four-day, residential summer camp and 10 additional day events throughout the year.
• Guardian Scholars: A program that, beginning in high school supports foster youth with case management and mentoring to ensure they graduate from high school, are exposed to a variety of careers, advance to specialized vocational programs, community college or a university, and complete their higher education with the help of our scholarship program.
• Foster Funds: Foster children often feel alone and isolated and may go without simple pleasures of childhood such as birthday gifts, a sports uniform or a musical instrument. Promises2Kids has special funds set up to support these needs not met through typical funding.
• A.B. and Jessie Polinsky Children’s Center: Promises2Kids built this County operated an emergency shelter for children who are removed from their homes due to abuse and neglect. We continue to provide ongoing support to the more than 1,000 children cared for at the Center each year.
Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
Yes. I think that women have always had to be strategic in their work with others, to advance in their positions and compete in a sometimes underrepresented industry or as senior leaders. We have had to also find a way to advocate for ourselves and be seen and heard in situations that women can be overlooked. These experiences have helped many women develop skills in negotiation and community building and position us very well for being able to leverage resources and relationships to advance our company’s work.
Pricing:
- We are a nonprofit, so donations are critical to supporting our foster youth; as little as $25 month can make a huge impact
- $6,000 supports youth in our college program, ensuring they have the mentoring, case management and scholarship support they need to succeed.
- $250 can send a child to camp connect where they can spend time with a brother or sister that they have been separated from in foster care.
Contact Info:
- Address: Promises2Kids
9400 Ruffin Court, Suite A
San Diego, CA 92123 - Website: promises2kids.org
- Phone: 6197087603
- Email: tonya@promises2kids.org
- Instagram: @promises2kids
- Facebook: facebook.com/promises2kids
- Twitter: twitter.com/promises2kids.org
- Other: youtube.com/promises2kids
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