focus
Summer 2013
on Boys & Girls Aid
A Place for Change REMEMBER FOR A MOMENT WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO BE 18. Now, remember the things you did not know, the mistakes yet to be made and the distances still to be covered until you really understood what it meant to be an adult. More importantly, remember the people who helped you navigate this exciting and uncertain time. The homeless youth in Washington County struggle to be healthy adults and do not have adult role models to guide them through this transition. Their knowledge of the world and where they fit in is limited because of past abuse or neglect. For a myriad of reasons, it was a better choice to be homeless than to be at home. Once 18, all of these youth are socially, financially and legally considered adults. Without healthy adult connections, they are not ready to become adults. It is proven that these youth, without intervention, have a higher chance of incarceration, unplanned pregnancies, substance abuse and chronic homelessness. Far too often we encounter youth like Natalie. Growing up with ten siblings, Natalie had been neglected. Her father died when she was young and her mother couldn’t support the family. She lived out of a car and on the streets unable to receive any formal education. At 20, she read at a 6th grade level. She did not know how to get a job or save money. Without an education, things felt desperate for her. Then she found Boys & Girl Aid’s Transitional Living Program. The Transitional Living Program (TLP) is an opportunity to help youth in Natalie’s situation. We understand these teens and young adults have a lot to learn. We see they need a permanent connection with a stable adult. But we know they have the ability to be amazing individuals if given the right resources. As a whole, the youth we serve are between 16 and 23-years-old. They have histories of substance abuse, have faced poverty or neglect at home or have failed at school. Many were never taught how to cook a meal, interview for a job or do their own laundry, much less support themselves financially. This is why TLP doesn’t just provide food and shelter. The program empowers success and self-reliance. Youth receive education and guidance on everything from managing their money and savings, to dressing for a job interview. We want them to leave the program employable, with an education and the financial and social knowledge to make it on their own. It’s not an easy path and it takes time. There are hurdles, side steps and push backs, but the hardest tasks and goals to overcome are the ones that will make the biggest difference when they are on their own. We want them to look back one day and appreciate how far they came and how much they learned as they worked towards understanding what it really means to be an adult.
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WHAT’S INSIDE... A Message from the President & CEO Promise of Permanency
Beaverton Partnership Coming Together for Youth
Finding Independence Stories of TLP Youth
Investing in Permanency Make an Impact
With Special Thanks Recognizing Collaboration