Winter Wonderland brings holiday cheer to foster students

ONTARIO – Bunny Pinchback, Foster Youth Manager for the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools, surveyed the stadium floor full of high school students as she reflected on the question.

“We want them to have memories,” she said, amid the smiles, hugs and high fives at Citizens Business Bank Arena. “They’re entitled to have memories just like anyone else.”

Indeed, the recent holiday gathering of more than 150 foster youth and “unaccompanied” students (those who live on their own or with minimal parental supervision) was a memorable one – for the students and the dozens of adults who volunteered their time to support the Chaffey Joint Union High School District’s 3rd Annual Winter Wonderland.

Organized by the Chaffey District Foundation with the support of dozens of donors and sponsors, this year’s Winter Wonderland was the first to be held at the arena. The venue and food were provided by the City of Ontario and Michael Krouse, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Convention Center.

“This is a difficult time of year for many of these kids,” said DeAntwann “DJ” Johnson, a counselor at Reach Out, an Inland Empire-based youth services organization. “They hear other students talking about handing out during the holidays with Mom and Dad or with their families, and they want the same thing.”

Johnson, himself a product of foster care, said events such as this allow foster youth to see that people do care “and that there is something truly bigger out there for them … I’m just trying to be their beacon of hope.”

Ann, a junior within the district, said she bounced around from foster home to foster home for years – only recently settling in one “I can call home.”

Chris Hollister, Chaffey District Assistant Superintendent, said there are too many stories like that.

“To many of these kids, school is an escape – a place they feel safe and can get a meal,” Hollister said. “The response of our staff and partners has been overwhelming. I’ve never seen a cause like this that has brought so many people together.”

Keynote speaker Arel Moodie, also a product of a difficult upbringing on the streets of New York, encouraged the students to tap into the support network that made the event possible.

“The power of choice changes everything,” he said. “If you grasp this, your life is completely in your hands.”