Annual Report 2013-14 July 2013 » June 2014 Quality Consistency Impact Growth
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UNITED FRIENDS of the CHILDREN Preparing Foster Youth for a Future That Works ANNUAL REPORT 2013-14 JULY 2013 » JUNE 2014 QUALITY CONSISTENCY IMPACT GROWTH QUALITY CONSISTENCY IMPACT GROWTH So much has happened at UFC this year! In addition to providing our youth and alumni with quality services and support, we have been expanding our housing and education programs, serving an even greater number of foster youth and setting the foundation for future growth over the next several years. » College Readiness served a record 500 students with the generous support of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Youth were engaged at a higher level this year with many more attending Saturday workshops and college tours which helped to create a college-bound culture in our students and caregivers. » College Sponsorship accepted its largest class of 50 students in the spring and served a total of 241 students at four-year colleges across the country. We shored up our support for students by offering on-campus “office hours” at local universities where we have a high concentration of students. » Pathways added 15 new permanent housing units for our Education and Pathways alumni so they can find stable housing after leaving our programs. We began redesigning the Pathways Alumni Program and prepared to add 35 new beds to Pathways in January 2015. As always, we need the support of our partners—people like you—to continue to grow our programs, keep the same quality and consistency we are known for, and work with our youth to create successful futures. Thank you for your commitment to UFC—we look forward to continuing our relationship and are excited about the future direction of UFC! Pathways Housing Program CHARLETTE Charlette had many obstacles to overcome when she joined Pathways in December of 2012—struggling to take care of her son and move 110 residents received forward with her goals. She aspired to return to school, work, and housing and support- provide a nurturing, stable environment for Jacob. While in Pathways, ive services through she embraced many of the services offered to her, including parenting Pathways classes. She developed a strong and trusting relationship with her Advocacy Counselor and the entire Pathways staff, as well as with her new friends in Pathways that have had a positive impact on her life. However, she struggled with returning to school because it seemed something always got in the way, whether it was deadlines, child care 80% issues, or self-doubt. Charlette worked diligently to make sure she had of youth in the everything in place in order to return to school in the Spring of 2014. She program obtained took on a full-time class schedule and held on to her part-time job as a empoyment caregiver. She located a suitable childcare provider and dove into student life. It was stressful and challenging but she made it through. Charlette graduated from Pathways in June and she and Jacob moved into one of the brand new permanent affordable housing units at Terracina, and she is continuing her full-time attendance at Cerritos College. 80% PATHWAYS PROVIDES HOUSING AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES TO HELP FORMER FOSTER YOUTH of youth exited to ACHIEVE HOUSING AND JOB STABILITY, CONNECT WITH PEOPLE WHO CARE AND PREPARE TO permanent or stable LIVE INDEPENDENTLY. housing THE PATHWAYS ALUMNI PROGRAM PROVIDES ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE IN THE YEARS AFTER THE PROGRAM AS FORMER PARTICIPANTS CONTINUE ON THE PATH TO INDEPENDENCE. “My favorite thing about being in the program was the Life Skills classes. We talked about all kinds of wellness like mental, emotional, physical, spiritual, environmental and social. I formed great bonds with the other youth in the program and was able to establish lifelong friendships. This was important to me because I went from feeling abandoned to being swarmed with people who genuinely cared about me. I was able to build back trust and have healthy relationships with all types of people. 1,465 hours of career and – Lafaye B., Pathways Program Graduate educational services UFC College Sponsorship student attending San Jose State University were provided to Pathways residents and alumni 51 youth received jobs or paid internships 496 alumni attended events and received services and support 987 hours of mental health 62% of alumni remained in contact with UFC services were provided to Pathways residents and alumni 79% of alumni are employed 93% of alumni are in stable housing 15 new permanent housing units at Terracina were 120 provided to our Pathways and Education Program youth weekly life skills classes as part of our expansion of permanent housing options for were provided for youth to expand their knowl- foster youth edge of real life issues UFC Interns at Warner Bros. Education Programs ANDRE “United Friends of Children is and has been a major part of all my accomplishments throughout high school. My college counselors in the 500 students participated College Readiness Program believed in me even when I failed to believe in the College Readiness in myself. They pushed me to go farther even when I was too lazy to Program (CRP) get up and do it for myself. They guided me through all my emotional breakdowns and assisted me with learning how to communicate with my peers. Before college applications were due, I was dead set on not going to college and instead joining the Marines because I was afraid that I would not get accepted into college. I would be the first person within my immediate family to go and it scared me to think what if I don’t get in? With the tireless assistance of UFC, I was accepted into 15,000 California State University, Northridge. The level of patience this family hours of services were provided to has had for me is absolutely outstanding and without their assistance CRP students I do not know where I would be headed, especially with all that I have experienced as a foster child.” – Andre R., College Readiness graduate and College Sponsorship student 100% COLLEGE READINESS PROVIDES ACADEMIC PREPARATION AND OTHER FORMS OF SUPPORT of active CRP OVER A SIX-YEAR PERIOD TO HELP STUDENTS GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND GO ON seniors graduated TO COLLEGE. from high school COLLEGE SPONSORSHIP PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT TO ATTEND AND GRADUATE FROM FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES. “In third grade I was a kid with low self-esteem, low grades and no motivation. I had been told by my third grade teacher that I was incapable of learning. When I joined UFC’s College Readiness Program in the seventh grade, I became a scholar and my grades improved massively. Despite the fact that I have learning disabilities, I learned that if I put my mind to it, I can achieve anything possible in life.” 241 – Trell is now a UFC College Sponsorship student attending Cal Poly students participated in San Luis Obispo and was accepted into the competitive One Voice the College Sponsorship Scholars Program Program (CSP) 200 CRP students accessed tutoring throughout the year to improve grades 77% of CRP students participated in at least one of 18 3,000 college tours hours of mentoring, career planning and support were provided 66% of CRP students participated in many of the 70 to CSP students Saturday workshops 60 ninth and tenth grade students attended the three-day overnight retreat 50 29 CSP students participated in 8-week paid internships new CSP students were accepted into the program 8 students studied abroad in China, Italy and the U.K. (our largest class) with additional CSP funding New College Sponsorship Students at Celebration Graduation Connecting the Community “As our students stress over the typical challenges of preparing for the big life changes that come with heading to college, they can easily imagine how those challenges would be compounded without the support they get from their parents, and that is really what inspires them to do everything they can to help. As soon as our kids wrapped their head around what it would be like to head off to college without the kind of support they get at home, they were instantly Chaminade HS Robotics team inspired to spring into action and help provide dorm supplies to UFC’s College collected dorm and Sponsorship Program students. They know that the youth they are helping school supplies to through UFC could be their roommates or classmates in just a few months, provide dorm kits and I think that made this project so much more meaningful and real for them.” for 50 UFC students – Tommy Smeltzer, Program Director, Chaminade HS Robotics team Over $130,000 was donated in holiday contributions, presents and gift cards Renee Biren, Amanda Ehrman, Nancy Isaacs, Linda McDonough, and Jessie and Toni Schulman put together 45 care packages and 145 Starbucks $2,170 was raised from The Black Apple Arts show, which included the gift cards with personal notes for our College Sponsorship youth proceeds of an original art piece from K-Guy Lionsgate and Pantelion Films donated 300 DVDs and movie tickets for Links Inc. donated $1,000 in gift cards and ran a competition within their our College Readiness students 16 chapters across Southern California and Nevada to see who could put together the best move-in kit for our Pathways residents Mattel created a holiday gift table for more than 90 children at the Pathways Alumni Christmas Eve event HBO donated back-to-school supplies following the “lunch ‘n learn” presentation by our College Sponsorship student Kimberly Monks USC Black Alumni Association donated holiday swag bags to raffle off at the College Readiness holiday party “By helping former foster youth to finish high school, find housing, attend college and build the skills to support themselves—UFC shows that we can raise our expectations and investment in this population of children and create positive outcomes.” – Jacqueline Caster, Nancy M.