When the girl you're about to meet arrived at a park for the Adopt 8 playdate, she saw a homeless woman sleeping under a tree. Marsherrill stopped, reached into her snack bag for some pretzels and a juice box, and took them over to the woman.
Marsherill's compassion likely stems from the fact that she believes she and her brother will end up homeless if they don't find a forever family. And her fear is not unfounded, according to statistics nearly half of all foster children end up homeless after being released at 18. Now, Marsherrill and Javeion make a plea to find a stable home.
Seven-year-old Marsherrill was happy-go-lucky at the beginning of our playdate at the park, gushing about her 10-year-old brother Javieon.
It's clear this brother-sister team is inseparable. They love doing things together, including playing catch and two-square
Javeion and Marsherrill are full of giggles and laughs, but their unsettled lives have brought a roller coaster of emotions – Marsherill laughing one moment, but then shying away the next. At one point during the playdate, Marsherrill wandered off needing some alone time, as the reality of why we were there settled in. So we gave Marsherrill her space, while I got to know Javieon a little better.
Javieon likes math and his after school routine consists of doing his homework, riding his skateboard and playing basketball.
He sounds like a typical 10-year-old, except that Javieon and his sister Marsherrill are missing one crucial element in their lives – an adoptive family. Javieon would like a mom and a dad that would be active with him and play sports with him.
He told me that his sister gets upset sometimes about not having a family.
Soon, Marsherrill returned and then reached for the microphone, telling me she had something to say.
"I want to say that I want to have a home and a good home, no bad home because I want me and Javieon to have a home, and I don't want me and Javieon to live in the streets."
It broke my heart to see Marsherrill in such pain. The siblings are currently living in an emergency children's shelter and don't even know how long they've been in the foster care system, guessing it's been between three to five years.
But through her tears, Marsherrill talked lovingly about the one person who has always been there for her.
"I love brother because he takes care of me and he does a lot of stuff for me, he shares his stuff with me," she said.
Then, she made one final plea:
"Me and Javieon been looking for a home, and we really want a home. So all you folks out there who want kids, can you just come and take me and Javieon because we really want a mom and dad."
These children need a stable home so they can heal and be the carefree kids they deserve to be.
If you are interested in adopting from foster care, or becoming a foster family, call 1-877-I-ADOPT-U to learn more about getting started or go to their website to take that first step and fill out an adoption form.
