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At just 13, Gayle was trying to hold her world together. With her single mother working two jobs just to make ends meet, Gayle became the primary caregiver for her younger sister. Most days, there wasn’t enough food for the girls to eat. But despite the hardship, Gayle did everything she could to keep her sister and herself safe during the long days and nights.
When Gayle turned 14, her mother made the heartbreaking decision to place her and her sister in foster care. Unable to provide the care they needed, Gayle’s mother turned to Itasca Foster Care Village, formerly known as Itasca Group Home, part of Presbyterian Children’s Homes and Services (PCHAS), for help. For the first time in her life, Gayle found a sense of stability, safety, and the support she needed as a young girl.
It was at PCHAS that Gayle discovered a new possibility for her future. With the encouragement of staff, she enrolled in community college after aging out of the program at 18.
Today, Gayle is married with three children of her own. Her journey has come full circle. After years of teaching in public and private education, Gayle felt God calling her back to PCHAS. In 2006, she returned as a staff member, and now she serves as the Advanced Education Director. In this role, Gayle mentors foster care youth, offering them the same encouragement she once received, helping them to believe in their potential and see a brighter future ahead.
“I know what it’s like to feel like you have to do everything on your own. That’s why I tell my students what they need to hear, even if they don’t believe it yet: that their past doesn’t define their future.”
Over the years, Gayle has witnessed the ripple effect of her work. One young girl from Ethiopia comes to mind—a girl who could barely speak English when she arrived to care with PCHAS. With encouragement and determination, the girl not only went on to college but also overcame her fear of public speaking. Today, she is a critical care nurse at a major hospital in Dallas, Texas.
“I’ve been here long enough to see kids graduate, start careers, and build lives they never thought were possible,” she says, reflecting on the lives she’s seen change.
Gayle has witnessed the impossible become possible for so many. Her face lights up when she talks about the youth she has mentored and supported over the years. She’s deeply grateful that someone believed in her, and now she has the opportunity to pass that belief on to the next generation.
One memory that stays with Gayle is the time she received gifts as a young girl through the Angel Tree Christmas program at Itasca Group Home. Gayle recalls the first Christmas in particular when she filled out her Angel Tree gift list and wasn’t sure if she would get what she hoped for. But when Christmas morning arrived, she was overwhelmed to find that she had received everything on her list, all thanks to the kindness of PCHAS donors.
One act of kindness can change a generation. Be Part of the Ripple Effect! Every act of kindness creates ripples that can change lives for generations—just like Gayle’s story. You can make a difference today!
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