Making a difference starts with something simple: making sure someone knows they are seen, heard, and loved.

That is what the Carmona Foundation means to me. It isn’t another to-do on my busy list. It is an opportunity to be a light for people who may be walking through some of the hardest or most uncertain moments of their lives and remind them that they matter.

I was fortunate to grow up in a healthy, loving home surrounded by people who taught me to love others, show up when someone needs you, and help however you can. I have always had people in my corner who made me feel safe, encouraged, and cared for. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized just how much of a gift that is.

That has shaped the way I want to show up for other people. I may not always understand what someone is going through or have the ability to fix it, but I can listen. I can care. I can help make someone feel seen. And I can use what I have to make things a little lighter for someone else.

The Carmona Foundation gives me the opportunity to do that for people and families whose lives have been touched by foster care, whether they are currently in the system, transitioning out of it, opening their homes to others, or navigating what comes next. Everyone’s story looks different, but everyone deserves to know they have people in their corner.

I’ve been blessed with so much love and support throughout my own life. Being part of the Carmona Foundation gives me the opportunity to take some of what has been poured into me and pour it into someone else.

My why is simple: to love people well, help however I can, and make sure more people feel seen, valued, and cared for.