Memorable Events

In My Shoes is committed to offering memorable events for children, youth, and alumni in and from foster care so they can begin to change some of the negative thoughts, stereotypes, and stigmas facing our youth.

The circumstances which brought them into foster care and the stigma of being in care has left many of our youth and alumni to feel insignificant, unworthy, and hopeless instead of the Strong! Resilient! Amazing! individuals they are. We understand how these feelings and the stigma of care contribute to the negative outcomes facing our youth.

Our youth come to us when they are at a crossroads in their life. In order to not allow the negative stigmas to become a self fulfilling prophecy, they need guidance and support to empower them. They need to have the belief that they are significant individuals worthy of great things.  This belief helps them to have hope that they can develop the competencies to realize their potential as adults.

Each year, we host six memorable events which serve a total of 500 children, youth and alumni. Our events are our Sibling Picnic, Holiday, Awareness Campaign, Annual Celebration and Recognition Event, AYAP Graduation Celebration, and the Mentor Appreciation Celebration.

Sibling Picnic Event

This event is a collaborative effort between multiple child welfare agencies to bring siblings together who have been separated due to foster care. Each fall, sibling groups gather in a carnival atmosphere to enjoy being with each other, have fun, and create memorable childhood moments.

Holiday Event

Each year, we celebrate at least one holiday with our brothers and sisters in and from foster care. These events take place on the day of the holiday we are celebrating. This is important to In My Shoes because we know many of our brothers and sisters are often left without family on these days and for many of them, they are the most difficult days of the year. 

Awareness Campaign

Although this is a campaign to raise awareness, it is also an event which gives back to children, youth, and alumni in or from foster care.  Our annual awareness campaign is held in May to help give support to National Awareness Month. In 2008, we were not only able to raise awareness about issues facing foster care, we were also able to give over 300 new pairs of shoes to children and youth in foster care.

Annual Celebration and Recognition Event

Our annual Recognition and Celebration Event is held in August of each year. This event not only recognizes the anniversary of In My Shoes, but it also recognizes and celebrates our mentors, mentees, club participants and Advisory Board. We also recognize and celebrate the educational achievements of our members.

Arizona Young Adult Program Graduation Celebration

Since 2009 we have collaborated with the Arizona Young Adult Program to host a celebration for youth to be recognized for their tremendous graduation success. Currently in the United States, less than 50 percent of youth in the foster care system graduate from High School and less than 3 percent go on to graduate from college. We celebrate their graduation success to show them that through a collaborative commitment that they do have an extended family that supports them within their community!

Mentor Appreciation Celebration

January is Mentor Appreciation Month and in recognition of all that hard work our mentors do for our In My Shoes youth, programs and events, we hold a celebration in their honor. We honor the formal mentors in our program serving in one-on-one matches with youth currently in foster care, however we also honor the many informal mentors to In My Shoes youth, programs and events. Although In My Shoes hosts this event, we cannot do this event without our many wonderful volunteers and main collaborator, Olive Garden.