The Los Angeles Police Museum, located at 6045 York Blvd. in Los Angeles, is partnering with Dream North Foundation (DNF) to host “Story Time with Dream North and Friends,” an event dedicated to uplifting 50-100 foster children from Sycamores and Child Help foster agencies, and 10 inner-city students from Locke High School (Green Dot Public Schools).
The event will take place on Saturday, May 21, at the Los Angeles Police Museum, a historical museum in the Highland Park Police Station which serves as an emblem of the LAPD’s influence on Los Angeles since its inception in 1869.
Dream North Foundation is a California charity whose mission is to promote the advancement of underprivileged women and children who are survivors of abuse, sex trafficking, and judicial and foster care systems. The organization also supplies programs for at-risk women and children including rehab assistance, group homes, and societal preparation and placement. This collaboration between the Los Angeles Police Museum and DNF is intended to bridge cultural barrier gaps between local governmental agencies and the at-risk communities they serve.
Saturday’s event will involve various activities, such as a museum tour, magic show, food trucks and more! DNF is requesting attendees bring their new and delicately used books to our events to donate to the children in foster care. Comfort Cases, an international non-profit organization that promotes hope and dignity to youth in foster care, is also partnering with DNF for this event, by donating seventy-five comfort cases filled with comfort and personal care items for youth entering the foster care system. Each backpack can include numerous items, such as a toothbrush, pajamas, stuffed animals, a blanket, books, hygiene products and more.
Guest Speakers includeAssemblywoman Wendy Carrillo and Rob Scheer (founder of Comfort Cases). Also William Romeo will receive the “Story Time with Dream North & Friends: Leaders Who Dream” Award.
FAMLI Inc. (Green Dot Public Schools) and sponsors Spread the Word Nevada, Sweet E’s Bake Shop, First Book + Pi Beta Phi, Better World Books, Remix Mobile Stage, and VIDA and ClearMask sponsored the event masks. Brides Academic Center of Excellence contributed school supplies gift bags and Los Angeles County 2nd District Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell donated $5,000 for the Story Time literary arts programs.
The event will feature author Nychol Lyna, founder/CEO of DNF, and foster care advocate, who will read “Forgotten Baby,” with illustrator and co-author, Arthur Romeo. It follows the story of Mytaé, a 16-year-old who loses her mother and enters the foster care system.
Nychol noted, “Both my co-author and stepdaughter have been a part of the foster care system, which inspired me to start this foundation. As a family, we want to show foster youth that they are not alone, and they are loved. The purpose of the story time events are to give the youth opportunities to look forward to, offer scholarship opportunities designed to help their future, and produce events that celebrate all that they are. The future is full of hope and we want them to hold on to it, because life is beautiful!”
Over the next two years, DNF will host approximately 10 onsite Story Time book reading events and more than 20 online workshops to uplift 2,500+ foster youth on a global scale.
To learn more about Dream North Foundation and how else you can contribute to their Story Time events, please visit: https://dreamnorthfoundation.org/donate/. To learn more about the Los Angeles Police Museum, please visit: http://laphs.org/
