Learning to Manage a Home

My grandpa Lou was orphaned at 9.

Left suddenly alone without a mother or home, he was handed off between various households in different towns and states. Over the years he ran away, lived on a breezeway, and was reunited with - and then dismissed by - relatives. He once watched a caregiver burn his clothes and everything he owned right in front of him— an experience that still haunted him decades later. Foster youth experience disproportionate rates of homelessness, incarceration, food insecurity, and trauma. My grandfather was no exception. 

It wasn’t until he met a caring mentor that he felt heard, safe, and guided, and could then begin to become a responsible young adult. 

He took over the management and responsibilities of a scrapyard. 
He served and traveled in the military. 
He started a family.
He gave back to his communities in tangible and meaningful ways. 

When foster youth have a person and place they can count on, they can begin to break the cycle of trauma, and pivot their energy from surviving towards thriving. This is one of the many reasons I passionately support the nonprofit organization The RightWay Foundation, and invite you to join me by becoming a part of the family support system that foster youth need in order to grow. This season’s contributions will go directly towards nurturing responsibility, helping the youth in RightWay’s supportive housing manage their apartments— from cleaning, to preparing healthy meals, to paying their rent on time.

Click here to help guide our youth, nurture responsibility, and give them the gift of a safer, healthier, and more stable household.