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.

The Gift of Safe Shelter

This community continues to show up for The RightWay Foundation in meaningful ways— THANK YOU. As such, I’ll be providing updates regarding their 2020 holiday giving initiative throughout the season .

First, for readers who are newer here, RightWay has been working towards securing safe, dedicated apartments for unhoused transition-age foster Youth in LA, while also providing them with mental health care, job placement, a supportive community, and trauma-informed training for employers. 

This week, I’m focusing on how contributions to RightWay can provide the holiday gift of safe, dedicated shelter in Los Angeles for their Youth:  

• To house 1 Youth per day costs $32

• Per week, it’s $224

• Per month, it’s $960

Further breakdowns can be explored via the graphic below:

For anyone wanting to make a contribution (of any amount), please click here to visit RightWay’s donation page.