A Joyous Holiday

YWCA Clark County supporters were very generous again this year. We launched our annual Holiday Appeal and Holiday Shop gift solicitation in early November 2014. By the end of the year, we received over $50,000 in cash donations, and were able to provide holiday gifts for 105 adults and 264 children.

 This season, we highlighted our Independent Living Skills Program (ILS) and the profound impact it has on the lives of youth transitioning out of foster care. A shocking 35% of Washington youth leaving foster care end up homeless because of a lack of family and community support to help them find work, affordable housing or continue their education. The ILS Program provides training, mentoring and community resources to help young adults avoid this tragic ending and enter into their adult life with a solid foundation.

 Thanks to thousands of gift donations, ILS youth and participants from our other four programs, shared in the joy of giving through a unique gift service program we call the Holiday Shop. Every year, staff and volunteers collaborate to create a mini-mall in the Community Room of YWCA. With shopping cart in hand and a personal shopper by their side, participants stroll through tables and tables of new gift items and select items for their families. Next, they are escorted to a wrapping station, where volunteers dress gifts with festive wrapping paper and shiny bows. The Holiday Shop always brings a special kind of joy to everyone involved.

 Thank you to the hundreds of community members who thought of those served by YWCA, and who took time to donate funds and gifts this holiday season. Year after year, your support of YWCA Clark County continues to humble and amaze.

The Joy of Giving

By Rachel Pinsky, Volunteer

We find comfort and cheer among family and friends. We give gifts to show love and friendship. We wish our loved ones a happy new year. Why not reach out to someone in our community—a neighbor, and share some of that cheer and good will with them? Through YWCA Clark County, you can.

YWCA services help people from all walks of life. Many are familiar with our domestic violence program, but did you also know that we provide services for youth in foster care?

Our Independent Living Skills Program (ILS) helps keep foster youth off the streets by helping them define and achieve the future they would like to see for themselves. With the help of ILS, Tavia and her 2-year-old daughter successfully transitioned from foster care to independence. With YWCA’s help, Tavia rents her own home, is now in school and working full time. Her goal is to help other at risk children, “I also want to be there for my daughter, and show her that if you set your mind into something, you can achieve anything.”

Tavia's strong will along with the help of ILS is helping her reach her goals.

ILS also helped Amanda, a young mother who switched schools many times due to being moved around in the foster care system. Amanda was an excellent student, however she was unable to transfer all of the credits from her various high schools. To graduate on time, Amanda needed to complete two years worth of work in one year. She was determined and focused to achieve this goal.

Amanda worked extremely hard, while caring for her young child, and completed the school credits needed to graduate on time. Knowing that Amanda did not have the necessary funds, the ILS Program happily purchased her cap and gown. Amanda proudly walked her graduation, received her high school diploma, and continued to make a good life for herself and young daughter.

These stories demonstrate the many barriers that young adults face as they transition from the foster care system.  Large and small barriers prevent them from establishing a stable living situation.  In many cases, a small thing like a cap and gown, or knowing they have somewhere to go when they need help, can make the difference in a young person’s future.

More than one in five youth experience homelessness within a year of leaving foster care.  One third of foster care alumni live at or below the poverty line – three times the national rate.  Many also need mental health services to recover from the trauma of their early years.  Over half the foster care alumni (54.4%) have current mental health problems, compared to 22.1% of the general population.  These young adults need the support and resources that only ILS can provide.

YWCA Clark County Provides Help and Support for Many

YWCA Clark County programs served 11,800 individuals in 2013 including over 160 foster youth. In that same year, our Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program advocated for the health and safety of 883 children. Our SafeChoice Domestic Violence Program answered 15,091 hotline calls, and provided life-saving services and shelter to 793 citizens of Clark County. Hundreds of thousands of Clark County residents benefit from our direct services, community outreach and prevention education programs.

There are many ways that you can reach out to someone in our community and help bring joy to our Clark County neighbors who have struggled, and sought help for a new beginning.

Holiday Shop

Many seeking the services of YWCA are, for one reason or another, unable to experience the joy of giving with loved ones. But, on one special day in December, YWCA is transformed into a fun holiday shop—complete with elves and cookies. Through our Holiday Shop, YWCA participants can shop for free; providing a means to give new gifts and holiday joy to their families.

This joyous day couldn’t happen without community members, organizations, and businesses who donate gifts to the holiday shop year after year. When you are out doing your holiday shopping, think of those served by YWCA. Purchase some new gifts for a family escaping violence, or a youth caught up in the foster care system. To help spread joy through gift giving this holiday, please deliver your in-kind donations to YWCA by Monday, December 15th.

Drop by 3609 Main Street to learn more, or contact Erin Smiley at 360-906-9157 or esmiley@ywcaclarkcounty.org.

Donate

Community members are also supported by the services and resources provided by YWCA staff and volunteers. You can help fund these services by donating cash before December 31st. Your donation makes it possible for us to provide the specialized services that assisted Tavia and her daughter as they established a stable and rewarding foundation.

Make a secure online donation today or deliver it to 3609 Main Street, Vancouver, WA.

Volunteer

Every program and department of YWCA utilizes the support of volunteers.  Opportunities range from advocacy to office work and provide flexible time commitments.  Volunteers receive training and support throughout their time with YWCA, so that they may have a rewarding and beneficial experience.

To volunteer at YWCA please contact Nichole Peppers at 360-906-9112 or npeppers@ywcaclarkcounty.org

The Unique Struggles of Foster Youth

By Claire Morgan and Sharon Svec

More than 10,000 children are in foster care in the state of Washington. Each year, a number of them will turn 18 or graduate from high school, and begin living as independent adults. This process is known as “aging out” of foster care, and can be problematic for some people. Often, young people will go from having zero experience managing money or a budget to being expected to obtain an apartment, pay rent, provide food for themselves, and generally take on adult responsibilities.

YWCA’s Independent Living Skills Program (ILS) is dedicated to assisting young adults between the ages of 15 and 21 who are or were in foster care. This program helps young people develop the necessary skills for transitioning to independent life by providing assistance with housing, budgeting, and employment. Through advocacy, resources, and education, young adults aging out of foster care are given the tools and support that they need to become successful adults. ILS is also able to help young people obtain a GED, complete college applications, complex financial aid forms, and navigate the healthcare system.

From L-R: Tyler, Tyler, Shaylee, and Jaime

ILS hosted a panel on June 10th, featuring four admirable youth who shared their experiences with the program and the foster care system. Shaylee, Jaime, Tyler K. and Tyler H. fought against overwhelming adversity to become strong members of our community. Each story was unique. One youth shared her passionate journey of motherhood while she was a ward of the court. Another spoke on his struggles with staying in school and off drugs, and how ILS helped him outline and achieve goals such as getting his own apartment. After living in multiple homes for much of her life, one youth was adopted by her social worker and now is on a path to becoming a social worker herself. The final panelist shared his experiences of abuse and neglect and his drive for success.

The audience mostly comprised of CASA volunteers and YWCA staff had a number of questions for the panel of youth. Each shared thoughtful and varied responses regarding their perspectives on family; past and present, and on what kind of support they might have benefited from during their time in foster care. Jaime encouraged those who might be frustrated with the behavior of foster children to respond with empathy and to, “ask why” instead of making assumptions which could cripple a delicate relationship.

An engaged audience listens to ILS panelists

The panel discussion came to a close with the speakers sharing their value of CASAs and the ILS Program, with a couple shout-outs to program specialist Robbie Orr. Guests at the event shared their admiration and respect for these courageous youth who are overcoming a difficult past to achieve a bright and purposeful future.

National Foster Care Awareness Month

In recognition of Foster Care Awareness Month this past May, ywca clark county would like to take a moment to focus on the children who wait in foster homes for stability to return to their lives and the teenagers who are preparing to transition out of care. On behalf of the roughly 800 children in foster care in Clark County, it is important to raise awareness of the issues that impact foster youth and to encourage individuals in our community to support them.

Each year in Clark County, over 300 children are removed from their homes because of abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Children and youth of every race, ethnicity, culture, and age group are placed in foster care when their parents or guardians are no longer able to ensure their essential well-being. These children need stable, loving care until they can either safely reunite with their families or establish lifelong relationships with a nurturing adult.

Even though a child may have experienced abuse or neglect in their home, that lifestyle is all he or she knows. It is their framework for understanding life. In a foster home, the smells are different, the food is unique, the foster family may not look like the child and they may even speak a different language. Navigating the newness can be especially stressful to a child.

About 30% of children in foster care have severe emotional, behavioral, or developmental problems and most children struggle with the following issues:

• blaming themselves and feeling guilty about removal from their birth parents
• wishing to return to birth parents even if they were abused by them
• feeling unwanted if awaiting adoption for a long time
• feeling helpless about multiple changes in foster parents or social workers
• having mixed emotions about attaching to foster parents
• feeling insecure and uncertain about their future

Children in foster care between the ages of 15 and 21 are in a unique position of transitioning out of state care and becoming adults. For these children, becoming independent and having to make life altering decisions is a scary thought, especially when decisions have always been made for them. Research shows that young people who age out of foster care are far more likely than their peers to endure homelessness, poverty, compromised mental and physical health, insufficient education, unemployment, incarceration, and early pregnancy and parenthood. These youth are in a vulnerable position and need kind, compassionate adults to help them create their own road map for life.

At ywca clark county, we offer two programs that serve foster children and youth in our community. Not everyone can become a foster parent or dedicate time to volunteering, but don’t be discouraged anyone can help change the life of a child.

Volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocates Program (CASA) at ywca clark county and learn how to advocate in court for abused, neglected, or abandoned children. CASA volunteers are often the one stable, supportive adult that the child is able to connect with. To learn more, visit www.ywcaclarkcounty.com/volunteer/casa

Volunteer with the Independent Living Skills Program (ILS) at ywca clark county. ILS teaches self-sufficiency skills to teens getting ready to age out of foster care and live on their own in the community. The program focuses on employment, housing, and education as the three legs of self-sufficiency. To learn more, visit www.ywcaclarkcounty.com/help/ils

Make a dedicated effort to get involved with legislation surrounding foster care. Make direct requests to your legislators, petition, and vote for measures that advocate for the best interest of foster care children and youth.

Investigate ways in which your business or employer can provide support. Some employers will match donations to non-profits such as ywca clark county, some encourage volunteer opportunities within the community and some even offer employment assistance or training to foster youth.
It is time to change the perception that children in foster care are the responsibility of someone else. They are our children and their well-being is dependent on the willingness of our entire community to care for and about them. All children deserve safe, happy lives and all children deserve compassionate, understanding adult interactions. Together we can make a difference.