Kay Wyrick Scholarship Available

FAM, the Foster Adoptive Mission, announced applications for its annual Kay Wyrick Scholarship are available for download on its website, www.fosteradoptivemission.org.

The annual $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to a current or former foster youth of color who plans a career in the community in social services or a related field and who most closely embodies Mrs Wyrick’s ideals. Mrs Wyrick was born on May 18, 1923, and resided in Waterbury for many years. Mrs Wyrick was a longtime activist and volunteer on behalf of abused, neglected, and pregnant youth. She surmounted overwhelming odds to become a role model for those who cared about others.

Mrs Wyrick was a ward of the state from the age of 13 to the age of 21. She was brought to Waterbury as a domestic caretaker. Several years later, she decided to become a foster parent. Mrs Wyrick and her husband nurtured more than 75 young adults by helping them stay off the streets, develop good work habits, and learn the value of money. During her lifetime she established a group home for girls, was a lifetime member of the NAACP, and fought to have black history taught in local schools. She died in 2006.

More information is also available on the website. Applications are due by April 1.