Walden Family Services Raises $88,000 for California Foster Youth and Families

Over 100 guests followed the yellow brick road into the historic Thursday Club in Point Loma for a special 50th anniversary celebration of Walden Family Services and their commitment to California’s foster youth and families at the organization’s ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ spring gala on Thursday, April 30, 2026. The annual event, organized by chairs Andréa da Rosa, Raymond Simas, and Dwayne Wynne, transformed the ocean view venue into a Wizard of Oz-inspired dreamscape of emerald, pink, and rainbows, and other immersive design elements.

Guests enjoyed delicious cuisine prepared by Behind the Scenes Catering and a theatrical performance featuring the memorable characters of Dorothy, the Wicked Witch, Elphaba, and Galinda, by drag performers Nadya Simone, Nebeur Styles, Indica Von Smokes, and Naomi Daniels, intertwining glorious, one-of-a-kind performances from ‘Wizard of Oz’ and ‘Wicked.’

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“Our annual gala is an opportunity to celebrate the accomplishments of our organization and put a spotlight on the community that has made this all possible. This year, being our 50th anniversary, felt particularly special,” said Teresa Stivers, chief executive officer, Walden Family Services. “We are more inspired than ever to continue our services to California’s foster youth, and the tremendous financial support we raised from this event paints a very bright future for us.” With the support of sponsors, underwriters, and guests, Walden raised $88,000 at the event.

The evening also provided an opportunity for Walden to celebrate Susan Jester, a true trailblazer of San Diego’s LGBTQ+ community, who received the organization’s 2nd Annual “Kindness in Action” Award. Susan, who is also an inductee of the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame, has led a life rooted in service that has shaped not just the LGBTQ+ community but the entire San Diego region. As a special surprise, Walden arranged for the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus to perform “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” just before presenting the award to Susan.

During the event, attendees participated in silent auctions to bid on fabulous prizes such as a La Jolla fine dining experience at Destiny Coast courtesy of John Crisafulli of Behind The Scenes Catering, a Napa wine tasting experience donated by Cliff Lede Vineyards, and a private 3-night luxury desert escape provided by donors Andrew Welch and Corey Polant. Alongside the auctions, attendees gave directly to Walden throughout the evening, with their donations entering them into special opportunity drawings for exciting prizes such as a Santa Barbara wine country escape, a fiesta night at Baja Betty’s, and a tour of Iconic Eateries Group’s beloved restaurants, including Studio Diner and The Butcher Shop.

Ruby Slipper sponsors are Mr. and Mrs. Joe da Rosa and Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo da Rosa. Heart & Hearth sponsor is the Gay & Lesbian Fund for San Diego. Welcome Home sponsors are Hotel San Luis Obispo and Drs. Janice & Matt Kurth. Event underwriters are by Madison Square Properties, Inc., NAU Builders, Reyes Construction, Inc., Chris Shaw, Raymond Simas & Karl Lowe, and Two Coast Consulting Group. Event supporters include Rancho Mesa Insurance, Scatena Media Group, and F&L Media.

Celebrating 50 Years, but Looking Toward the Future

Though the evening focused primarily on Walden Family Service’s half-century, the organization is looking to the future to bolster its services and stay engaged with program alumni. The organization serves a diverse population, including infants, sibling groups, LGBTQ-identifying youth, teens, and children who are medically fragile or have developmental, emotional, or behavioral needs. The organization is nationally recognized for inclusive, affirming care and is accredited by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s “All Children – All Families” initiative.

For youth transitioning into adulthood, Walden’s programs combine stable housing with mentorship, case management, life-skills training, and financial education to support long-term independence. This includes specialized support for young parents to ensure that both the parent and the child can thrive. Looking ahead, Walden is focused on expanding housing opportunities, strengthening prevention and family support programs, and advancing financial empowerment as a core strategy to reduce child welfare system involvement across California.

Walden is actively seeking landlords, housing managers, and residential properties with availability for the organization to lease transitional housing. Funds from ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ will be used to secure new leases that ensure transitional age youth, usually between the ages of 18 and 24, have stable housing and support services before full independence.

In addition to pursuing additional housing, Walden Family Services is evolving its services to better serve program participants long after they have transitioned out of the foster system. This revamped alumni program includes emergency financial assistance, a robust mentorship program, and a no-questions-asked food pantry exclusive to Walden alumni. The upgraded alumni program ensures Walden youth are supported throughout their lives, and always have a safety net to fall back on should they need it. This ensures that at any time, Walden Family Services can truly be considered “No Place Like Home” for thousands of former participants as they advance in their lives and careers.

“Walden does such a phenomenal job supporting foster youth, providing housing, financial coaching, family placement, and even adoption services. The planned expansion of alumni services, though, allows Walden to support these youth throughout their lives,” said Andréa da Rosa, Walden Family Services’ board of directors vice chair. “Providing extensive support, even after the youth leave the foster system, will further reduce the perceived ‘foster-to-nowhere’ pipeline and give these at-risk youth a stable, long-term fixture of support that they need.”

To volunteer, donate, or learn more about Walden Family Services, visit waldenfamily.org.

ABOUT WALDEN FAMILY SERVICES

Founded in 1976 and headquartered in San Diego County, Walden Family Services is a nationally recognized nonprofit human services organization supporting children, youth, and families across Southern California. Walden serves communities in San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, and Los Angeles counties, making it one of the region’s most comprehensive providers of foster care and youth transition services. Over the past five decades, Walden has supported more than 100,000 children, youth, and families and currently serves approximately 1,500 individuals each year through foster care, adoption, family support, kinship care, and transitional housing programs. Walden is uniquely positioned to serve children and youth who are medically fragile, have developmental delays, or are transitioning out of foster care. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services, Walden remains focused on strengthening families, expanding housing stability, and helping young people build safe, stable, and independent futures. Learn more at waldenfamily.org.