Will you help teens in foster care find families? Your attendance at Family & Youth Initiative’s Establishing Roots fundraiser can do just that.
Family & Youth Initiative helps teens in foster care develop lasting connections with supportive adults who become steadfast sources of love. Imagine “aging out” at 21 without any emotional or financial safety net. Being left alone without support is scary: By age 26, more than a third of aged out youth have experienced homelessness; only 6% have completed a two- or four-year college; almost half are not working; and nearly 60% of men and 30% of women have been convicted of a crime. But research shows that having just one caring, committed adult in the life of a young person can make all the difference between struggle and success.
This is where Family & Youth Initiative comes in. We use a unique approach of bringing together teens and adults for activities where they have fun and get to know each other. This interaction encourages natural community-building and adult-teen relationships. Based on relationships that start at events, we match teens with mentors, weekend host parents, and adoptive families. Teens get important help to navigate adulthood, such as creating a resume and advice about work.
In the words of a DCFYI participant: “I'm so thankful for DCFYI: I hope they stay around for 100 more years so the next group of youth without a tribe have a chance to be a part of a family.”
Establishing Roots is a fun gathering with food from area restaurants, a silent auction [https://fundraiser.bid/EstRoots2025}, and conversation with others who come together over a mutual commitment to helping teens in foster care find family.
If you have questions or for information about sponsorship, please contact us at info@dcfyi.org or 202-863-0975. We look forward to seeing you.
Family & Youth Initiative - www.dcfyi.org
