Kim BrattainFounder/ CEO, Kim Brattain Media · Award-winning Corporate and Documentary Film Producer

Lori Collins, Board Member, The Relatives | Kim Brattain Media

29 Oct 2014 · 2 min

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2:10

In this brief testimonial, Lori Collins thanks Felicia and Lateef for sharing their stories and reflects on her 15‑year involvement with The Relatives, including two years as a board member. She explains that she was drawn to the organization after learning about its work with youth aging out of foster care—specifically the frightening scenario of 18‑year‑olds riding a city bus with nowhere to go, which she imagined her own niece experiencing. Feeling overwhelmed by community needs, she recounts a Mary Oliver quote about reaching out, which reshaped her perspective: while she cannot solve every root cause, she can continuously reach out to show a caring community for these young people. The core message is a call to stand with youth in crisis, offering consistent support and compassion.

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Thank you, Felicia and Lateef, for sharing your remarkable stories. You remind us all of the power of the work of the Relatives organization. Hello to all of you. I'm Lori Collins. I've been involved with the Relatives for 15 years, the last 2 years as a board member. I've known about the Relatives even longer as a Dilworth resident. What drew me to the Relatives a few years ago was hearing about the work they do with youth aging out of foster care. Kids riding around on a city bus on their 18th birthday because they have nowhere else to go. How lonely and frightening that must feel. And I pictured my 17-year-old niece in that situation. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the needs in the community, and I think, what can I do? What can I really do that makes any difference? Last summer, I read a quote that helped me see what I can do and inspired me. The poet Mary Oliver wrote, there are things you can't reach, but you can reach out to them, and all day long. And then I understood, we can stand with them. We can stand with the youth, with the kids in crisis. We can stand with the young adults trying to make an independent life. We can't fix all the root causes or reach every single kid in crisis, but we can reach out to them all day long and show them a community that cares.