I am a lawyer in D.C. who previously served as a federal law clerk.  Before receiving my J.D. at Georgetown, I taught high school English in Chicago and earned a M.Ed. and B.A. from the University of Notre Dame.  I have published on education law and policy, with a focus on school choice, charter schools, and innovation.   I chose to get involved with DCFYI as a mentor because I missed working with teens since leaving the classroom.  The sense of community and impact DCFYI has was evident almost immediately, and it has been a joy to volunteer so far!

I have been volunteering with kids - both in and out of the foster care system - for more than a decade, and when I moved to DC a few years ago, I started looking for opportunities to volunteer with teenagers in foster care.  My husband and I went to our first DCFYI event in December 2017 and I am thrilled to have found this amazing organization.

We are gradually working towards becoming host parents, but for now it’s been incredible to get to know several of the teens and build relationships with these kids.  In addition to joining the regular group activities, we’ve been hosting monthly small group events at our house- ways for teens and adults to get to know each other in a smaller, sometimes less stressful situation.  We had some pretty elaborate craft parties - jewelry making, Shrinky Dinks, designing soap - until I figured out that I could just put out a deck of Uno cards and serve a meal and everything would fall into place! Many of these small events are also birthday parties, and I feel so honored to be able to help these teens celebrate those milestones and create some happy memories.  Plus, I love to fill our house with teens and friends and laughter. There is always a lot of laughter! 

DCFYI really does create a family, for those who let it - not just for the teens, but for the volunteers as well.  Whether or not you are officially matched with a teen, these kids become our kids and the DCFYI community becomes our community.

After working as creative director, copywriter, and marketing manager for ad agencies and other organizations in the DC area and most recently for the journal publishing division of the American Chemical Society, Joe retired at the end of 2021. He lives in Northwest DC with his wife and adopted son. His interests include writing fiction and playing the guitar.
 
Joe started volunteering with DCFYI because he sees it as a way to make a difference in the world for a great group of young people who could benefit from having some help in making their way in the world (as everyone does in the transition to adulthood).

When I joined DCFYI, I was looking for a volunteer experience that would allow me to work with teens. I was hoping to build community at the same time. I was drawn to DCFYI because the program provides structure and creates situations that allow for relationships to naturally develop. It also allows you to dive in or dip your toe in the water. I wanted to be thoughtful about the commitment I was making, and DCFYI gave me the space and the opportunities to persist until I met my match. I am thankful that I was able to participate in events and get to know many of the teens before being matched. 

I had been attending group events for about a year when I finally met my mentee match. My mentee has a quiet strength that drew me to her. We continue to attend events while building our relationship. I am excited to support her as she makes her transition to college -- she is an inspiration.

I'm a long-ago DC transplant from California, a mama bear to all kids (not just my own), and a staunch advocate. I'm a fan of equity, justice, honesty, kindness, good people who do good things, and public schools. I love animals, learning new things, travel, languages and cultures, and sites and objects from antiquity. I've been a DCFYI mentor for a couple of years, shuttle kids to DCFYI events, and help in whatever ways that are needed. It's been a great honor to have my time and presence well-received by the most discerning population - teenagers. It's incredibly rewarding to connect with the kiddos and be a person who they know they can trust. Being a constant in someone's life is a privilege, and I'm thankful for the opportunity for that through DCFYI.

Gail Amidzich worked for Congress and federal agencies for 25 years and later in the private sector.  She was Legislative Director to Rep. Tony Hall (OH) and associate staff to the U.S. House Rules Committee.   She served in the executive branch as Deputy Director of Legislation for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, and later handled government relations for the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).  Gail has worked on a range of issues including child nutrition, health policy, Medicaid, public housing, and commerce issues and is excited about working with the DCFYI Board and other supporters to help DCFYI raise the resources it needs to help DC foster teens join loving families.  

I have been volunteering in other organizations since I moved here in 2004 to work on a political campaign.

I was really interested in becoming a mentor or host parent and decided to do some research on smaller organizations who had a program that could provide this. My first time at a DCFYI event was a really humbling experience. The teens that you meet are so enthusiastic about meeting new friends. Because the way the program is set up, teens volunteer to attend these events. I found this to work very well since it creates more of a natural environment for mentors to meet their possible mentees.  My mentee and I were matched in a few months from starting the program. He's extremely engaged, thoughtful, and very funny.
 
My background in social justice work is what made this program really attractive for me. I am very grateful for programs like this as it brings an entire community together. I encourage anyone who is interested in this to attend a training and also meet a current mentor/mentee.