A Testimonial Presentation

Good evening, Ladies and Gentleman.  My name is Capone Velez and I am very thankful that you have taken the time out of your busy schedules to support my fundraiser. To me is more than a fundraiser; it is something I hold dearly.

This fundraiser will help today’s children to have what I never had. I had a rough life growing up. My biological mom was addicted to heroin and my dad was in jail most of the time. With four sisters and incapable parents, I was left with the burden of being the man of the family at a young age. I was my family’s caregiver throughout my whole childhood. Every day, I scrounged for food for my sisters and I. At night I dealt with what we were going to wear to school the next day or worried that my mom was not going to pay the bills. I was one of the lucky ones in these situations

I was lucky because God answered my prayers and provided for me. I was so blessed to have a great mom and dad (Amon and Levenia) who took me into their house and gave me the support I was missing.

I'm blessed that my mom had a great heart, and she is doing this to provide a shelter for a child in need. When she took me into her house, she did not judge a troubled kid like me by what was written on the papers

. Unfortunately, there are more kids out there who are not as lucky as me. They are judged, and they end up in the street doing crazy things.  Every kid is a blessing, they can be somebody and can go somewhere in life. I am blessed to have a dad who treats me like a son and who gives me the advice I needed to actually be a man. He teaches me things my biological dad did not. I will be the first person to graduate high school and pursue college to become a social worker because of these opportunities.

An opportunity like the one I was given is what we are missing in our communities! We are missing the love and compassion that my parents have toward strangers. Young kids turn to gangs, drugs, and even suicide because of lake of love. Truthfully, a lot of people here would’ve looked at me and saw just another kid from the ghetto throwing his life away.

I am here tonight to tell you that these kids out in the streets are more than that, and they also want to be children too. They want to be able to live a normal life, but they are not allowed by what’s going on in the society.  They always feel like they're the ones to take care of their families, and they end up doing thigs which will lead them up to drugs or gangs.

Since I have been volunteering at DHOH food pantry, I have seen some kids in a very sad situations: starving and so skinny and just wanting a little food so that they can eat. Meanwhile, some of us are at home throwing away food because we are too full. That’s why this fundraiser is so important. The funds raised will go to all those kids starving. They will stop that kid to join the gang or selling drugs to get money to buy food.

Everyone is here for a reason that I really don't know but God does. God wanted you to hear this; maybe because you can give a little bit more than others can or maybe because he knows that one of you in the audience tonight will make a difference in a kid’s life. Please, don't let any more kids in our communities go through what I went through.

Let’s shine some light on these struggling kids and give them some hope. And with this hope maybe even a sense of happiness. Thank you, all, for coming tonight

Capone Foster Child