Child Profiles
Juan
Juan has been through it all; group homes, shelters and even families who say they wanted him as their own. They’ve all fallen through for this 13 year old who says he just wants a family to share his love.
Juan is an expressive young man. He is sensitive and very straight forward. He communicates well and admits that other people’s feelings matter to him. Despite his losses he is not ready to give up finding a forever family.
A recent outing making pizza at the Grimaldi’s in Chandler got Juan to reveal his inner feelings while turning balls of dough into tasty edible creations. As he spun the dough into perfect rounds suitable for cheese, pepperoni and sausage he reflected on his life and being in the 6 th-grade.
“I like school and I’m getting mainly A’s,” he said. His favorite subject is math, which comes easy to him. Juan says he is trying to avoid all the “drama” at school, “So many people get into other’s business with gossip and rumors. I try and avoid all that and just hang out with my friends.”
Juan is the peace maker who tries to avoid conflict. He helps others with his artistic talent; drawing hearts and roses to give to special people in their lives. “People make me happy,” he said. “When I’m down I like to be with people and I really like meeting new people,” he added.
Juan says he and his best buddies like to talk on the phone. When they get a chance to hang out with each other they like to play video games, shoot some basketball and just talk about random subjects. Juan says his best sport is soccer because he can really kick the ball hard and far. He says his friends would describe him as funny, friendly, intelligent, very social and a good guy to be with.
Juan says he has given a lot of thought to the type of family he wants to be in. “I really want a Hispanic family with a mom and dad who are there for me. I would love brothers and sisters, dogs and lots of activity. Aunts and uncles and cousins would be great too, the more people the better,” he said. He added that an active, imaginative family is what he envisions. He would be happy going camping, having picnics and even just washing the family dog. Music and movies are also something he would want to share with his new family. Juan is hoping they would also let him keep in close contact with his friends and allow them to visit on a regular basis. A program at AASK called Todos Los Ninos assists Hispanic families who want to learn more about how they can help Latino children like Juan.
Juan’s case worker, Sarah, says Juan is anxiously awaiting a family. She says he is sensitive, compassionate and caring. Most importantly, Juan wants to develop trust and commitment, and because of so many failed placements it may be a slow process. Sarah says a family will know immediately what Juan is thinking. “He is a very straightforward young man who verbalizes his emotions and doesn’t bottle them up,” she said. She stressed that Juan will function best as the youngest child.
Oh, and Juan may have a ready made job waiting for him in a couple of years. His initiation to pizza making impressed Grimaldi Chef Cory Lattuca. Lattuca complimented Juan on his first attempt telling him it was better than the first 50 he made as an apprentice. “You have a job anytime you want,” he said to Juan
For more information on this wonderful kid, please contact: Amanda Lennberg , Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Recruiter at 602.930.4472 or by email at alennberg@aask-az.org
