By LORI SZEPELAK
Correspondent
EASTHAMPTON – Sandra and Angel Rubio are on a “journey.”
The newly married couple also have two daughters for that journey, both adopted, and in the near future, hope to add another daughter from foster care to their family.
“I never had any intentions of adopting,” said Sandra Rubio during an interview with the Westfield News on the afternoon of April 11 as the Treehouse Foundation and One Simple Wish hosted a One Simple Wish Party for area children ages five to 12 who are in foster care.
Angel Rubio shared her sentiments.
“My life has certainly changed,” he said, adding, “the girls are unique in their own way and are great.”
The One Simple Wish Party, conducted in the community room of the Treehouse Intergenerational Community at 1 Treehouse Circle, featured lunch, crafts, music and a host of activities including a magician. Hasbro also provided every child who attended with a new toy to take home.
The couple live within the Treehouse Community and noted what a “tight-knit group” it is.
For Sandra Rubio, who works in the Head Start office on Southampton Road in Westfield, and Angel Rubio, who works in the food service department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, they know if there is an appointment the girls need and their work schedule has a conflict, they can ask for help.
“We have neighbors we can call on and we will also help out others when we can,” said Sandra Rubio.
While children at the party were interacting and enjoying quality time with their foster care families, Sandra encouraged area residents who have a big heart to consider being a foster parent or adopting a special child.
“In my job I saw how hard it was to find placements for children,” she said.
Sandra Rubio was a foster mom first to Ashlynn, now 10, and then Aliana, now 8.
“Ashlynn was from the Westfield area and she was dropped off for a weekend on a Friday when she was 2 ½ years old,” said Sandra Rubio. “She didn’t have much of a smile and it took four months before I saw her smile and light up.”
Rubio added that Ashlynn was a “wild little thing” at first and didn’t talk but now she loves to read and enjoys going to school. Rubio was able to adopt Ashlynn when she was four.
“Now as a fifth grader, she is in the school band and art club,” said Rubio proudly.
Aliana was only four days old when Sandra Rubio was asked to care for her.
“There was a plan to reunite her with her mother but that didn’t go well and at age three. Parental rights were terminated and I was able to adopt her when she was four,” said Rubio.
Aliana is now in second grade and loves to draw, read, and write stories in her journal.
“My favorite class at school is art,” said Aliana, standing next to her mother’s side.
For area residents who also might be looking for volunteer opportunities, Rubio noted there is always something happening at the Treehouse Community and getting involved can be a rewarding feeling.
“Treehouse is amazing,” she said. “It really does take a village to raise a child.”
Local agencies who recruited children in foster care and their foster families to join the day’s festivities included Berkshire Children and Families, Children’s Study Home, DARE Family Services, the Department of Children and Families – Western Region, Gandara, and the Treehouse Community.
Members of the Treehouse HEROES Youth Leadership Project helped coordinate the logistics of the afternoon affair.
“Community service and giving back are part of what HEROES is about,” said program coordinator Chris Langelier, noting the HEROES program brings together young people, ages 14 to 24, who have experienced foster care, to develop life skills, support educational and social success, and promote college exposure.
“Through arts, outdoor adventure and service projects, HEROES helps youth to become leaders in their own lives and communities,” said Langelier.
Treehouse executive director Judy Cockerton added that One Simple Wish is making a “tremendous difference” in brightening the lives of children in foster care across the country.
“We are delighted to partner with their amazing team to bring this party today to children in foster care in western Massachusetts,” said Cockerton.
Danielle Gletow, founder and executive director of One Simple Wish, a national nonprofit, spoke of how her organization empowers everyone to make a direct and meaningful difference in the lives of foster children and at-risk youth one simple wish at a time.
“More than 13,000 wishes have been granted since we started in 2008,” said Gletow, noting her organization has partnered with 750 agencies across the country.
“We want children in foster care to pursue their dreams so One Simple Wish tries to make every effort to offer as much support as possible,” she added, encouraging families to visit www.onesimplewish.org for more information. Additionally, people wishing to make a contribution so that a wish can come true can also visit the website for more details. Wishes range from $10 to $100 each and have included baby items, clothing and shoes, books, toys, bicycles, eyeglasses, toiletries, school uniforms, digital cameras and art and music lessons.
Founded in 2002, the Treehouse Foundation works to ensure that every child is rooted in family and community. Treehouse has two primary initiatives, the award-winning Treehouse Intergenerational Community in town, where elders and families adopting children from foster care live in a close-knit neighborhood, investing in each other’s lives daily, and The Re-Envisioning Foster Care in America Movement, which provides opportunities for collaborative social change and multi-sector regional investment in the success and well-being of children and families who experience foster care.
For the Rubios, many “adventures” lie ahead and with one simple wish – to live happily ever after.
