Honoring Veterans Day

This Veterans Day, we want to take a moment to thank everyone who has served in our military for their service to our country.

This includes several former children who lived in Coyote Hill homes! We wanted to take a moment to highlight their service! We are so proud of the ways so many people in the Coyote Hill community who have served or are actively enlisted.

Here are some of their stories!

Calvin Temple

This is adapted from a speech Calvin gave at a CMFCAA Youth Retreat. You can read the full speech here.

“Everyone has the same starting and ending point. Birth and death are given to all of us. What we do with that time in between defines our legacy. Fifteen years ago I made the decision to join the Army National Guard. This decision has provided a foundation for me to build on and countless opportunities to succeed. By taking a firm grip on the wheel and embracing the challenges I faced, I have opened the door to success.”  

“Your past does not dictate your future. You can be a victim and let your past control you or you can face the challenges of your past head on and work harder to succeed. For me, the National Guard meant opportunity. I was given a way to go to college and a career to pursue. My journey had purpose again. I enrolled in college and started working on my degree. It would have been easy for me to give up and accept the cards I was dealt. Why try, when the one person in the world that was supposed to love me unconditionally had given up on me time after time? I didn’t want to end up like that, so I chose to attack my opportunity with a fierce desire to succeed. As a member of the National Guard I’m allowed to serve my community. I serve with soldiers who voluntarily give their time and effort to ensure our communities are safe. This brings a great feeling of pride and purpose to my life. When you transition out of the system, it is important to surround yourself with successful people who can provide guidance and support when needed. Nothing is going to happen for you if you quit on yourself. For me, the National Guard provided that support and guidance. I have earned the opportunity to go to college and am just two classes away from a bachelor’s degree. I have a meaningful career that I am passionate about, and I have found a family in the National Guard that I can look to for support when needed. My journey has been challenging at times, but I didn’t let my past define who I would be.”

Jesse Dalbec

Jesse was one of the first children who lived at Coyote Hill. He spent sixteen years of his childhood in foster care, both at Coyote Hill and elsewhere.

When Jesse was seventeen, he made the decision to age out of foster care.

“You have no idea what you’re getting into,” Jesse said. “Going to school wasn’t paying my bills, but working was, so I made the decision my senior year of high school to quit school and work full time.”

Shortly after that, he made the courageous decision to join the US Army, where he served until he met his wife, Sara.

Read Jesse’s full story here.

Ben Barber

Ben Barber lived at Coyote Hill as a teenager. He enlisted in the US Army and served as a staff sergeant. He and his mother, Ruth Barber, shared their story in a 2017 video with Cosmic Sauce.

“The way he is as a sergeant, the way he is as a dad and husband, comes from the way he saw Bill and Tammy [Atherton] treat each other,” Ruth shared. Bill and Tammy were Ben’s house parents when he lived at Coyote Hill.

Blake Wallis

Blake lived at Coyote Hill from 2004 until 2007. Then, he and his brother, Jake, were adopted by another family, where they lived for seven years. Unfortunately, they experienced abuse in this home, and eventually were removed. They moved in with Michael, Blake’s older brother, when Blake was sixteen. 

At this point, Blake and Michael made a plan together so that he could be as prepared for the world as possible when he turned eighteen. Immediately after graduating high school, Blake enlisted and became a Signals Intelligence Analyst in the US Military. Now, he is studying Broadcast Journalism at the University of Missouri. 

Read Blake’s full story here.

We are so grateful for these individuals’ dedication to service and sacrifice. This Veterans Day, we want to honor these stories, as well as other Coyote Hill foster parents, staff, and former children who have served.

Thank you!

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