DePaul Community Resources Expressions Newsletter XXXIII-2

Looking Back With Love Story by Alison Wickline-Burns | Photo by Yellow Tree Photography

“They always showed up for me,” said Brooke. “My entire perspective of the world changed from negative to positive because of them.” Brooke holds immense gratitude for the role her former foster parents, Dollie and Richie, played in her life. They gave her a firm foundation, and that stabil ity, support, and love led her to the happy, fulfilled life she has today. “I got married last year and we have two children, Easton and Marcella,” said Brooke. “My husband and I are remodeling a house on acres of land where we’ll have plenty of room to grow. I currently work in special education. In the future, I plan to get a degree in psychology and would love to open my own coun seling practice.” “It is amazing what all Brooke has accomplished,” said Dollie. “We are humbled knowing that we had a part of that. We love her.” Brooke is proud of her hard work to get here, but she also recognizes that all this progress may not have been possible without her foster parents and without DePaul. When she entered foster care at the age of 16, she left behind an extremely unhealthy home environ ment. She spent some time in a group home and then came to Dollie and Richie’s house carrying a trash bag full of her belongings and the childhood trauma she had been burying. She was fearful and uncertain about

what her future would look like. But the family’s love and the feeling of being safe and cared for made all the difference. “I remember that first day they had my room deco rated just for me with handmade items, some of which I still have today,” said Brooke. “They were so kind and never spiteful … they showed me what a healthy relationship looked like. They always showed up for me even when I made mistakes.” Dollie and Richie didn’t just change Brooke’s life. They have been foster parents with DePaul for 17 years and have welcomed around 25 to 30 kids in their home. “The best part is being able to give kids a loving, stable home and helping them with their needs,” said Dollie. Brooke struggles to imagine what her life would look like today without Dollie and Richie and their family and without DePaul. She sometimes finds it hard to believe that she broke the cycle and the generational trauma stopped with her. Last year, both her biological father, who is sober now, and her foster father Richie walked her down the aisle on her big day. It was a day filled with love and gratitude. She looks back on that day, and all the other days before, with an understanding of the way it shaped her life and with appreciation for the way families, organizations, and communities show up for kids and teens in need.

“My entire perspective of the world changed from negative to positive because of them.”

— BROOKE

4 | FALL-WINTER 2025