The best word I can use to describe our department is magical

(Left to Right) Rebecca Rybaltowski, Brianna McPherson, Elizabth Bennett

For the teenagers I work with it is a daily struggle to get through the complicated and multifaceted system that is foster care. I am volunteering with the Youth Development Department at MercyFirst, a special team created to help foster care teens prepare for adulthood outside of the system. The best word I can use to describe our department is magical. When a youth comes into our department with questions and concerns, they always leave with answers and solutions. It is awesome to be a part of such an effective and useful department where I know that lives are changing for the better. A large part of my position with the Youth Development Department is helping the youth navigate government offices to obtain their vital documents like their birth certificates and social security cards.

The simple transaction of filling out a form, waiting in line and interacting with the clerk can be confusing and intimidating for anyone, but especially for teens that have never experienced it before. Even though it seems like a simple task, being in foster care can often make it even more difficult to access the information necessary to apply for vital documents. This can be discouraging for the teens, but we do our best to leap over the hurdles we face so they can get the documents they need.

Before I started working at MercyFirst, I had no experience with foster care, let alone teens within the system. I didn’t know how I, a young woman who grew up in rural Ohio, could help street-smart teens who grew up in Brooklyn. What could I offer them? When I took the first youth to the DMV to get a non-drivers photo ID—a document necessary for everything from applying for a job to enrolling in college—I was so nervous and shy. I was worried that I had prepared the wrong papers or even that the clerk may turn us away simply because the youth is in foster care. Despite these fears, the process went smoothly. The youth also felt better knowing that she would now be able to open a bank account and keep the money she had been saving safe.

After working with the youth in need of vital documents for three months, I know the steps for each office by heart. I’ve also learned how to present myself and the youth in a professional manner and speak confidently with the clerks. I’ll always be thankful to the youth for teaching me these important life skills. Now that I am confident and know how to navigate the system, I can more fully assist the youth here at MercyFirst.

Brianna McPherson - MercyFirst - Brooklyn, NY