From the first time they met – Alex, Marie, and Big Rob knew everything was going to be OK. Big Rob’s son, Little Rob, had been placed in foster care with Alex and Marie, and the four were meeting for their first visitation – a day they still all get emotional discussing.
“The first thing he said to me was, ‘don’t worry, we’re going to take care of your son and stick together’ and right then I knew he was in good hands,” Big Rob said.
That meeting set the tone for everything to come. The four began doing weekly visitations to keep Big Rob involved in Little Rob’s life, meeting at parks, libraries, and restaurants and building the foundation of an ‘unorthodox,’ but wonderful, friendship.
Allies emphasized the importance of building relationships that add loving adults to a child’s life, rather than take them away. It was evident from day one that Big Rob was committed to doing everything he needed to reunify with his son, and Alex and Marie were committed to helping him do just that.
When COVID hit, they set up daily FaceTime calls at dinner time to stay connected, make sure Little Rob got to see his dad’s face, and “keep Big Rob’s heart alive.”
Thanks to the bonds they had built, the four weathered the pandemic together.
As a sign of his appreciation, Big Rob – a lifelong Dodgers fan – bought Alex a customized Angels hat embroidered with his name “Papa Alex.”
When it was time for Little Rob to reunify with his dad, the Alex and Marie worried that maybe Big Rob would be ready to move on with his life without them. But luckily their fears were quickly assuaged. Big Rob invites them over for BBQs, swimming parties, and baseball games, and FaceTimes every time Little Rob is doing something funny or asking for his mama. Alex and Marie still take Little Rob for sleepovers at their house and weekend activities. They’re family now.
And thanks to their unconditional love for Little Rob, and a little help from LA’s crosstown rivalry, this family is bonded forever.
This holiday season, your gift will help bring together more families just like this, and create brighter futures for more children who are surrounded by loving adults. It will also help make Allies’ transformative year-round work possible, which helps prepare children and families for a better, brighter 2022.
$25,000: Can help unite 15 children with foster families, providing equitable opportunities and unconditional love for children and teens
$10,000: Can help heal childhood trauma by providing six months of intensive therapy for 25 children and teens
$5,000: Can provide a month’s worth of healthy, nutritious meals and snacks for 100 children affected by COVID-19
$2,500: Can provide semiannual developmental screenings for 50 children
$1,000: Can support families financially impacted by COVID-19 by providing a week’s worth of diapers and baby wipes for 30 children
$500: Can fund four raised garden beds full of delicious produce in Allies learning garden
$250Can replenish our library with books to delight children’s imaginations
$100Helps Allies support the most vulnerable families during these unprecedented times
EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS $ ______ Every dollar counts to help support Allies transformative services and supports to ensure that all children have the childhood they rightfully deserve.
