FYI Seeks Volunteer Allies to Be Paired with Local Foster Youth; Training to Be Held July 11
More foster youth in SCV are discovering the support FYI can provide, so more Allies are needed to help change the lives of these vulnerable young adults aging out of the foster system
SANTA CLARITA (June 22, 2023) – Local nonprofit Fostering Youth Independence (FYI) is seeking “Allies” to support Santa Clarita youth who are aging out of the L.A. County foster care system. Allies provide invaluable support to these vulnerable youth, as each one is paired with a youth who they will help guide and encourage as they complete a post-secondary education – a key to breaking the cycle of challenges faced by these youth.
On July 11 a training session will be held for anyone interested in learning more about what being an FYI Ally entails. The training will take place in the Fellowship Center at Christ Lutheran Church in Valencia from 6-8 pm. Those interested can email FYI’s Volunteer Coordinator Darlene Allen at dallen@fyifosteryouth.org.
Volunteer Allies have the unique opportunity to directly impact the lives of Santa Clarita’s transition age foster youth (ages 16 to 25) by providing encouragement and support as they transition into adulthood.
“Santa Claritans have the opportunity to make a real difference in these youth’s lives by becoming a volunteer Ally and encouraging their youth through the journey to obtaining a college degree or trade certificate, and providing the caring support the youth may not have had as they traveled through the foster system,” explained Carolyn Olsen, FYI’s executive director and co-founder. “And the more foster youth who discover FYI and what support we can offer them, the more Allies we need – both men and women.”
She added that FYI’s youth have achieved many of their goals because of the right support system and caring adult Allies, because these youth have never had the traditional support of parents or family in their lives.
The benefits of becoming an Ally are clear. Local resident Don Young explains, “Having personally experienced the foster care system in my youth and successfully navigating the transition to adulthood thanks to great foster parents, I had been searching for an opportunity to return the favor. FYI is a great organization that promotes education, decision making and self-determination while utilizing available resources and a personal Ally for support.”
“In the six years since FYI was started, we’ve served 147 local youth, and we will be welcoming nine new youth to our community over the next two weeks.” Olsen added. “We want to make sure we can provide each new youth with a caring volunteer Ally to provide the encouragement and moral support they need and deserve.”
Further information about Fostering Youth Independence and how to support this organization can be found on www.fyifosteryouth.org.
About Fostering Youth Independence (FYI)
FYI is the largest Santa Clarita-based nonprofit supporting local foster youth who have aged out of the L.A. County foster care system without being adopted or reunified with their birth parents. FYI addresses the serious challenges faced by these youth, which include not finishing high school or pursuing higher education, homelessness, and incarceration. FYI offers local foster youth numerous resources to help overcome past traumas, complete an education, gain employment, and become successful, independent adults.
FYI currently serves 76 transition age (16-25 years) foster youth in the Santa Clarita Valley and has supported 147 local youth since its inception in 2017. It assigns each youth a caring adult volunteer Ally and a coordinator to help them set and achieve goals in areas such as education, employment, housing, finances, health, transportation, assistance with college applications, enrollment and class registration, and referrals to resources for food, housing, health, mental health, and employment. It also provides emergency financial assistance when an unexpected expense such as a car repair threatens to derail a youth’s educational plans. FYI offers The Study Place for learning support and tutoring, a Ready, Set Drive! program to assist youth in obtaining their drivers license, hosts events throughout the year where the youth can connect with other youth and Allies to create a community of support, and partners with College of the Canyons for referrals and counseling. It also provides school supplies and holiday gifts.
Website: www.fyifosteryouth.org
Instagram: @fyifosteryouth
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fyifosteryouth
Contact:
Carolyn Olsen
Co-founder and Executive Director
colsen@fyifosteryouth.org
(661) 360-1500 ext. 700