On a Foster Care Success Story Youth helping youth
It's a resource center with heart
San Francisco Chronicle
Thursday, April 2, 2009
During a time of strugglefor so many worthwhile programs, we are thrilled to report that at least oneimpressive local project has found a way to expand - and just when its servicesare needed most. VOICES (Voice Our Independent Choices for EmancipationSupport), Napa's groundbreaking program for foster youths who are aging out ofthe system, is opening a second center in downtown Santa Rosa. And in keepingwith their mission of a program that's for youth and by youth, two of the Napaprogram's young leaders conceived and assembled the new office themselves -with a lot of help from the energetic team of former foster youth they hired inSanta Rosa.
"It's a dream cometrue for me, first to be able to serve my own community and now to go somewhereelse and do this," said 21-year-old Mitch Findley, who is the newprogram's site coordinator and one of the original founding members of the Napaprogram. "I didn't think that it was possible - and I was wrong."
The center's grand openingtoday is a testament to the power of VOICES' distinctive approach - and to thecontinuing challenges being faced by our foster children. Like the program inNapa, the center will be part home and part resource center for young peoplewho have trouble finding both. Representatives from important county services -vetted for "youth-friendliness" by the Santa Rosa founding members -will work at the center to provide help with everything from jobs and housingto immigration and mental health.
"We've all beenthrough the system, so we knew what they'd need - and who would be best to talkto them," said 22-year-old founding member Sharon Duoa.
When the foster youthsaren't getting help, they can come to the center to cook a meal or find someoneto talk to. 21-year-old founding member Tanya Carvajal found the two-storybuilding and successfully lobbied the landlord for a lower rent. The center isfull of that sort of enterprising spirit. The furnishings may be spare, butthere's a full kitchen downstairs and upstairs, a rack of business clothing forthose who have job interviews and nothing to wear.
The founding members aremost proud of their new washing machine and dryer, both donations from thelocal Junior League - the appliances are key, because some of their clients arehomeless and will have nowhere else to wash their clothes. They're hoping toset up a computer center, too, but that may have to wait until they secure morefunding. With the economic crisis, fundraising has been tougher than it was forthe Napa start-up a few years ago. "I'm going after Oprah," Carvajalsaid. Until that works out, donations of both money and late-model computersare welcome.
One thing has been easierthan it was in Napa, though: getting the local community fully invested in theprogram. The Junior League of Napa-Sonoma gave them $40,000 in start-up funds,and their members will be volunteering at the center. Nick Honey, SonomaCounty's director for the Family, Youth, and Children division, calls theprogram "a perfect fit with what we're trying to do" and adds thatthe founding members are "fantastic." And at their "soft"opening for foster youth several weeks ago, nearly 100 young people showed up.
"I wasn't sure howmany youth would accept us," said 18-year-old founding member Andy Wagner."I had seen what VOICES did for the community in Napa, but some of myexpectations have already been surpassed."
What VOICES did for Napa -and that center continues to thrive, serving 129 young people in the month ofFebruary alone - has inspired the Santa Rosa center in ways both big and small.Laura Colgate, acting executive director of the Valley of the Moon Children'sHome Foundation (a home for neglected and abused children in Santa Rosa), saidshe became one of the top lobbyists for bringing VOICES to Sonoma County aftertouring the Napa facility.
"A couple of yearsago, I started attending meetings to see if there were gaps in service forfoster kids or kids transitioning out of foster care in Sonoma County,"Colgate said. "Through that process I heard about the VOICES group inNapa. When I toured the facility, I was just blown away. That's when we reallystarted pushing for them to come here."
Now, say the Santa Rosafounding members, they're experiencing the kind of personal growth that theircounterparts in Napa earned during the hard work of building their program.
"I get to use theeducation from my life, and feel like I'm recognized," said 22-year-oldfounding member Sandra Jensen. "To build a place for kids who don't haveone of their own, and to build one for ourselves at the same time - it's beenan amazing process for everyone here."
To contact VOICES
To get more information,or to donate, go to www.voicesyouthcenter.org.The phone number for the Santa Rosa center is (707) 579-4327. Its mailingaddress is 335 College Ave., Santa Rosa, CA, 95401.
This article appeared on pageA - 14 of the San Francisco Chronicle
