Stage and Screen Star Ta'Nika Gibson Joins You Gotta Believe's Board of Believers

You Gotta Believe has announced that actor Ta'Nika Gibson will join its Board of Believers, a group of passionate volunteer advocates who dedicate themselves to helping the organization find loving, permanent parents for older children in foster care. For Gibson, YGB's work finding families for foster kids is deeply personal, as she herself was in the foster care system until her school headmaster and her husband became her forever family when she was 17 years old, and legally adopted her at the age of 22.

Gibson first connected with the organization in 2020 when she performed in YGB's annual Benefit Concert, Voices: Stars for Foster Kids. Gibson was drawn to the organization's focus on finding permanent families for older kids in foster care, and she has been a vocal supporter of YGB's mission ever since,  actively sharing her personal story to highlight the critical need for loving families for older foster youth.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ta'Nika to our Board of Believers," stated Jennifer Pinder, Executive Director of You Gotta Believe. "Ta'Nika brings a unique understanding of our kids and families, having navigated the challenges of being a teenager in foster care herself. Her personal experience is invaluable, particularly given that many of the youth we serve are older teens facing the risk of aging out of foster care without familial support, a situation Ta'Nika herself narrowly avoided. Her journey resonates with the over 400,000 children in the foster care system,all of whom entered the system through no fault of their own."

"YGB's mission to find permanent families for older foster youth resonates deeply with me, particularly their emphasis on unconditional love,” said Gibson. At the age of 17, my life took a profound turn when I found my forever family. The pivotal moment came when my dad told me, ‘We love you unconditionally.' I'll never forget that moment because nobody had ever said anything like that to me."

"My journey to Broadway wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering support of my family. The experience of having parents who believe in you, affirming, ‘You're smart. You're talented,' is truly transformative. I hadn't encountered such support until I met my parents.I'm proud to join the Board of Believers at You Gotta Believe. I wholeheartedly embrace their mission to find families for every child in foster care. It's especially meaningful to advocate for older youth, as I, too, was 22 when I was adopted by my parents. I am honored to contribute to making that possibility a reality for other young people waiting in foster care."

Gibson's  arrival on the Board of Believers coincides with YGB's End of Year Campaign to raise $114,000,  symbolizing the staggering number of 114,000 youth in the US foster care system awaiting permanent families. The campaign underscores the unparalleled impact of love, support, and security that only a permanent family can offer and supports YGB's work finding and supporting families for foster youth.

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