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Greetings!
What makes a great summer memory? Summertime conjures up images of full-blooming nature, fluttering butterflies, memorable vacations, swimming and warm nights. This year our youth have been able to attend the 4th of July Jubilee & Parade in downtown Concord, various Oakland A's games, as well as receiving season passes to nearby Waterworld. In addition to this, Youth Homes is creating lasting memories in the minds of our foster youth by hosting the second year of our fantastic garden program at two of our homes.
click here to see the latest pictures of the garden!
 | | TAY Laborers, Jessica Schaffer & Latasha Johnson working at a recent plant sale |
With the garden program blooming, Youth Homes has had several organic vegetable and plant sales with more to come. Please save the following dates:
Friday, August 3rd from 12-2 pm hosted by TAY Laborers
East Bay Shelter - 2025 Sherman Drive, Concord
Friday, August 17th from 12-2 pm hosted by TAY Laborers
Cherry Lane - 1603 Pleasant Hill Road, Lafayette
Friday, August 24th from 12-2 pm hosted by participants of the Summer Job Program
East Bay Shelter - 2025 Sherman Drive, Concord
Do you want to help? This is great way to support Youth Homes by purchasing organic veggies and a wonderful opportunity to tour our Gardens. To reserve a mixed box of vegetables for $10.00 ahead of the sale, please contact Jeremy at (925) 705-3192.
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Life Skills for Youth in Transition
Did you know that for most foster youth, turning 18 means aging out of the foster care system and being shown the door? Most foster youth do not receive adequate preparation and support for their transition to independent living. Luckily this is changing. As you may know, a new law, AB12 was implemented on January 1st 2012 which provides continued services to foster youth up until their 21st birthday. Youth must be working part time, going to school or meet certain other requirements to be eligible.
What does this mean for our youth? They don't have to leave if they need additional support. In response to this, Youth Homes is meeting the needs of these youth by creating a program teaching important life skills to transition age youth. The program, brainchild of the Cherry Lane team, has been so successful there is now a waiting list at our Cherry Lane facility where the program is being implemented.
Some highlights of the program include:
Money Management: assists youth in achieving his/her financial goals for successful transition to independent living through a points program providing allowance with extra earned bonuses for such things as opening a checking account and meeting various responsibilities. 
Foundation Skills: not forgetting the basics such as proper hygiene wearing clean and appropriate clothing, organizational skills such as keeping a clean/neat bedroom, being on time and taking prescribed medications.
Core & Independence Skills: the planning, cooking and hosting of a meal, assisting the staff with planning and implementation of the house budget and grocery shopping, completing job applications/interviews/or vocational applications - supporting economic success through education and employment programs.
Through this valuable program, Youth Homes is providing important skills for life in an effort to help youth navigate the adult world while providing stable and safe housing along with additional professional support.
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Join us for another spectacular event raising funds & awareness for abused and neglected foster youth.
Tickets $150 per person prior to September 17th - $175 per person thereafter. Stay tuned - ticket sales opening soon! |
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Dear supporters,
 From everyone at Youth Homes, we extend a hearfelt thank you. Our agency remains on a strong financial footing, our independent evaluations show very positive client outcomes and our private fundraising remains successfull.
We could not do any of this without you!
Regards,
Stuart McCullough
Executive Director
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There are more than 500,000 children and youth in foster care in the U.S.; approximately 20,000 youth "age out" or emancipate from foster care each year. 
In California, 65% of youth leaving foster care do so without a place to live. 
Up to 50% of former foster/probation youth become homeless within the first 18 months of emancipation.
********** Youth Homes would like to extend a big thank you to The National Charity League for all their hard work at Anderson House. The NCL is an organization for Mothers and Daughters who serve the communities together.
Several mom's and daughter's showed up and helped clean the house to tip-top condition!
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