Twins, Nina & Josh, 18, are staying positive despite being enrolled in their fourth high school in four years. Their dad is in the military, and in addition to the required moves, he is currently deployed overseas, only able to come home once a year. The twins miss and worry about their dad constantly and will benefit from creative outlets to pour their energy into! Nina's dream is to rock out on a new electric guitar and amp, while Josh wishes for all the parts needed to build his dream PC by hand. Providing dreams for the twins allows them to work towards accomplishing personal goals, express themselves creatively, and increase their confidence to be themselves no matter where they may be going.

This past year has been challenging for everyone. Thankfully we are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel. But for the youth we serve, that tunnel can be considerably longer.

Prior to the pandemic, typically one in six dreamers dreams for their own bed. However in the last several months, there has been a considerable increase in dreams involving beds and items for personal space/basic needs. Kaden, a teenager, has witnessed violence and experienced homelessness. As the oldest of four, Kaden helps raise his younger siblings and makes sacrifices so they can have a better life. He dreams of having his own bed and personal space of his own, away from his siblings. Kaden's dream will be coming true with a queen size bed / storage underneath, mattress and matching nightstand. He will be able to take these items with him when he is out of school and on his own.

When kids have their own bed, they have better quality and longer sleep which improves emotional health and their ability to stay engaged at school. You can make a difference by supporting our campaign for Dreams for a Better Sleep TODAY!

Believe in Dreams is growing! We'd like to introduce and welcome a few new additions to our team, both staff and volunteers. Since our last newsletter we have added two new Board Members, Alonzo Blackwell, RHIA and Rob Platt. Also, this month, we welcomed our new Dream Fulfillment Supervisor, Kristen Sklodowski, LISW-S. In addition, long time Dreams Volunteer and Ambassador, Dr. Tanya Quinones-Santiago, will be serving as our Volunteer Coordinator. Check out the link below to learn more about the team.

We also have a newly created Young Professionals(YP) Committee. This committee is designed for local young professionals age 25-40 to get involved by helping raise awareness, funds and recruiting future volunteer leadership. The YP Steering Committee is lead by Danielle Lopez and Lydia Warkentin. If you are a young professional in this age cohort with creative ideas and want to get more involved in this community, you can learn more about joining our YP Committee by clicking on the link below.