SAN JOSE – More than 500 business leaders, elected officials and community members attended Uplift Family Service’s Silicon Valley Community Awards Luncheon on April 28, 2017 at the Fairmont San Jose.
Together, they recognized CEO emeritus Jerry Doyle, raised over $565,000 and counting for the organization’s Foster Care and Adoption Services, and learned about the agency’s 150-year history.
Foster care expert and author John DeGarmo, Ed.D. spoke about his experience raising foster children. He and his wife have fostered dozens of children for over a decade in addition to their six children, both biological and adopted.
Destiny Gibson, a former foster child, spoke at the luncheon about her journey toward self-acceptance. “Self-love has got to be the hardest thing you’ll ever have to do, I mean, who holds you to a higher standard than yourself?,” Gibson said. “No matter what anyone else says to you, what you say to yourself is what makes an impact, and that is a difficult concept to master.”
Darrell Evora, president and CEO of Uplift Family Services, recognized Doyle with a lifetime achievement award for his work in advocating for children by bringing about California’s first Wraparound program in 1991 and helping to get legislation passed for Wraparound in 1996. Today 95 percent of children in California live in counties where Wraparound is available.
The emcee was NBC traffic anchor Mike Inouye.
