Recently, Tom decided to leave his passion for “live” performances to travel on another path that he is passionate about. This passion is to work with children and youth that need a supportive family to let them aspire to their potential. He enjoys networking with others and hopes to find many families who will be supportive of, and participate in, foster care, adoption and the Annie C mission.
Tom is married, has a son that is 24, another son 45, raised through kinship care as well as a college-age daughter who is adopted from Guatemala. In his spare time, he loves organic gardening, photography, raising Great Danes and appreciating the beauty of the planet.
Selina is most passionate about advocating for and beside older youth. She also volunteers for her church community as the youth advisor.
Trayvonn studied Political Science and Philosophy at the University of Connecticut, graduating in 2015. His passion for politics led him to the world of public service where he now works in a U.S. Senate Office and serves as a Commissioner for the City Planning Commission of Waterbury. Trayvonn was also a part of UConn’s premiere First Star Academy program for mentoring and supporting a group of 25 youth in the foster care system achieving Mentor of the Year for impact on the lives of the students. Today, he hopes to reach foster youth feeling uncertainty in their journey for identity and one day elevate from a former foster youth to a Foster parent. What you might not guess at first glance: Trayvonn is a local property manager, is an uncle to 8, and can solve a Rubik’s cube in 90 seconds.
In his words: “I believe that as a foster parent, that I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunity to care for the children who were placed in my care, and that as foster parents we inspire their dreams, provide them with a sense of security, safety, and self-confidence; we encourage within them a love for life, and help them to find within themselves and others the strength necessary to reach their aspirations.
Being a foster parent isn’t easy, and it’s often accompanied by many unexpected challenges. As a result of entering the system, there are often many social, emotional, academic, physical, and behavioral differences that children have developed to adapt to their lives both before and after entering the system. When children have been placed into the system, it’s essential that a strong network of supports be put in place both for the children and their families, and that all professionals work cooperatively together in order to assure that placement is successful. This can be a difficult undertaking, but one that offers much joy if done correctly, and which remains much less costly than losing a child into the criminal justice system along with the opportunities lost to help a child better their lives.”
Roger is an active board member for Mattatuck Museum. He is passionate in his interest in drum and bugle corps. Roger loves to teach and offers financial literacy classes to youth through Peoples Bank. His passion for social justice drives him to work for a better world for young people.
After graduating from Danbury high school she attended college at Western Connecticut State University and went on to obtain her J.D. from Roger Williams School of Law. Rachael spent the last five years of her career as an Assistant Attorney General for the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General as one of several attorneys representing the Department of Children and Families.
Making her son and daughter her priority, she left state employment and has begun her own practice focused on child protection matters and various other areas of law. Rachael and her husband Jeff have two beautiful children. Her son, Hunter, is three and her daughter, Hudson, is a year old. They are her world and she shares the struggle of fitting everything else in with them in her blog, Carpaneto Chaos.
Rachael brings her love for networking and socializing to the Annie C. Courtney board as the point person for fundraising.
Doris is a Certified Community Health Worker and Statewide Bilingual Health Information Specialist for PATH CT as well as the National Family Voices Cultural Responsiveness Team representing CT. A graduate from Partners in Policymaking 2016, the UCEDD LEND program in 2017, UMKC Project ECHO 2018, she became the North Central Leader after completing the Charting the Lifecourse Linguisitics Ambassador training. She has been a statewide NAMI SMARTS advocacy trainer, Ending the Silence Facilitator, NAMI BASICS Bilingual Trainer, CAFAF bilingual trainer and KTP Legislative Leader.
Doris has dedicated over 25 years to amplifying the voices as a community advocate for the marginalized and was recognized as one of the 2020 top 50 Latino Leaders in CT as a Community Leader, 2020 Hispanic Women’s Leadership Award and has been interviewed by Identidad Latina, NBC Univision, El Show de Analeh and CT Latino News regarding the health disparities among the marginalized Latino, disabled and youth in foster care. She has served as: Keep the Promise Coalition Co-Chair, Unitarian Society of Hartford Accessibility & Inclusion Ministry Co-Chair, Children in Placement Guardian ad Litem & Board, Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance, Mental Health CT Policy Committee, Ct Children’s Family Advisory Council & Behavioral Team, CT Developmental Disabilities Council Lifecourse Linguistics Ambassador & Board, Dept. of Education State Advisory Council Legislative Committee, Yale PRCH Latino Colectivo, CT Family First Prevention Community Team & QRTP, CT 2020 Census Complete Count Committee, CT Emergency Support Function (ESF) #15 (Public Information and External Affairs) Diverse Communities & Disabilities Task Force, National Family Voices Cultural Responsiveness Team-Telehealth, and Police Accountability Taskforce: Disabilities and Youth Subcommittees. Doris and her sons founded the CT Luggage Of Love initiative procuring over 1k gently used donated luggage & toiletries for youth in foster care as well as the housing insecure.
In her spare time, Doris enjoys community and faith-based initiatives involving youth and family supports as well as witnessing the progress and impact of Alpha Sigma Omega, Latina sorority, Inc. She founded in 1997 and is now nationally empowered by its multicultural membership leading many grassroots initiatives today!
Photo Pat and her twin sister. Annie C’s oldest girls.