Teri and her grandkids, Terynce, 11, and Ta’Nia, 13, can often be found playing family games together at their kitchen table.
“When I think of Ta’Nia I just think of the sweetest thing I’ve ever met and Terynce is like the smartest young man I have ever met,” Teri shares with pride.
When Teri adopted Terynce, she already had custody of his sister Ta’Nia. Homelessness and drug use by his mother led to Terynce being removed from her care.
The first few days they spent just the three of them, Teri remembers, “we were really happy to be together.”
Then, challenges arose for Teri as the reality of the financial burden and more began to set in.
“[Life] was pretty chaotic,” Teri shares, “I felt lost. I felt like no one understood. I was really searching for…an organization that could help me…be successful with my grandchildren.”
That’s what Teri found through DePelchin’s Kinship Care program — “love, grace, understanding, a listening ear.” Kinship caregivers provide a way for kids to stay with family when they cannot live with their birth parents.
Terynce was chosen as a 2025 Texas Bowl Kickoff Kid. They all enjoyed meeting players, experiencing on-field activities, and watching an exciting game as the ambassador family to LSU.
“Without your donations and time…to help grandparents, like myself, we would not be able to see this thing through,” Teri says.
Thank you for providing the mental, emotional and financial resources that caregivers like Teri need to succeed.