Conversations with Paula Cracium

Today we’d like to introduce you to Paula Cracium.

Hi Paula, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was a preacher’s daughter, raised in the church, and I’ve always loved the church being the heart of the community and a place we will turn at any point or intersection in someone’s life. I have been on staff at Shepherd Church for a few decades now and have been honored to participate in a lot of different areas.

After coordinating the building out our campus and going through Covid, I wanted to focus on our outward facing and compassion ministries. What that basically means is I work on government impact, community engagement and specific partnerships regarding homelessness, sanctity of life, antihuman, trafficking, foster kids.

I found I have an enormous passion for this work, specifically working with kids in the Foster Care system in those aging out. The statistics are staggering, 50 to 70% of our incarcerated population spent time in Foster Care over half of our homeless and half of the people who are trafficked spent time in in Foster Care. Has children age out of the Foster Care system.

Approximately half of them will end up spending some time un-house. It became clear to me that Foster Care is Ground Zero for many of the social issues that are plaguing our city and Country and it became something I could not ignore.

Ultimately, I was offered a radio program on KKLA, (and which has an accompaning podcast) focusing on vulnerable population specifically kids in Foster Care. The premise of the show is to expose the condition of underserved populations, to introduced or organizations that are doing amazing work with these folks, and ideally inspire others to step into the space and make a difference.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t know the road is ever smooth when you’re doing something important… Especially when you’re working in a system that has so many challenges like the Department of children and family services or any government agency that works with underserved populations.

It is exciting that here in Los Angeles specifically, Los Angeles County there has been a huge move to reach out to faith based or organizations to help turn the tide for so many people who have found themselves as a difficult intersection or by the choices that their parents made for them or that they made themselves.

The government tries hard, but so often they are only able to do triage and the true life-changing work is happening through faith based nonprofits. This is predominantly because the work takes time, care, and the focus this provided through people of faith.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’ve always said that my spiritual gift is nagging! I know that sounds weird, but once I identify a need and a direction, I can be pretty tenacious in connecting people and trying to move the needle.

I’m proud of the work that we’ve been able to do advocating for foster kids connecting the resources and creativity of the entertainment industry here in Los Angeles to kids in the foster system. I am hopeful that the work that I do advocating for vulnerable populations in government and legislation can have an impact, Long beyond my time here on the planet.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I’m pretty much an open book, it might surprise people that I can be rather shy when I put a new environments, especially why I don’t know anyone. It is something that I have to work hard and push through. Because when you are not yourself and don’t press into all of the incredible gifts and talents that God is placed in you, you really undercut your purpose for being on the planet intend to sell short whatever space you were put in.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shepherdchurch.com/lostandfound
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shepherdchurch/ and https://www.instagram.com/paulacracium/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/notifications