Youth Villages | MTN Newsletter | Fall 2022

FROM YOUTH VILLAGES REGIONAL DIRECTOR

We had another amazing year at Youth Villages and are thrilled with the number of successes our staff shared with our children, families and young people.

This summer, we celebrated 68 graduates in our LifeSet program earning high school diplomas or college degrees. Additionally, because of our tuition reimbursement program, we had 13 staff graduates and 11 who received their master’s in a counseling profession. We even had two interns graduate and are now full-time employees with Youth Villages, including Merek, who was in the LifeSet program and a LifeSet Scholar.

Speaking of LifeSet, we had a record-breaking year for our annual golf tournament that raises money for those young people in the program transitioning from foster care to adulthood. The 11th anniversary of the Youth Villages Golf Classic, presented by Snell Family Charitable Foundation and in partnership with Thomas & Company, was held on June 27 at Legends and raised more than $86,000 for young people pursuing their independent living goals in Middle Tennessee.

Also in June, a team from PBS NewsHour followed our Intercept® and Specialized Crisis Services to show the importance our work is having on children’s mental health. Our continuum of services helped a 17-year-old experiencing a crisis have access to consistent mental health counseling she needed to continue living safely with her family. On any given day, Youth Villages helps about 2,000 families across the state of Tennessee receive the support they need to live successful lives.

Looking forward, we expect to help more children and young people find success this year due to the dedication, hard work and support from our staff, volunteers, donors and advocates. Simply, we could not do this important work without you.

YOUTH VILLAGES MIDDLE TENNESSEE ADVISORY BOARD

Nate Kenney, Chair

Louis Applewhite

Elaina Brintnall

Scott Brisson

Josh Corey

Sara Eatherly

Jason Egly

Meredith Forehand

Stephen Francescon

Matthew Gann

Bill Hamburg*

Ben Madonia

Sarah Mickle Shannon Millen

Aylin Ozgener

Chris Patterson Helen Roudi

Bailey Saunders

Tony Sharpe

Lisa Small*

Betsy Walkup*

Pat Wallace*

Michelle Warren

Brittany Farrar

REGIONAL DIRECTOR

MIDDLE TENNESSEE PROGRAMS brittany.farrar@youthvillages.org 615-250-7322

*Honorary board member

Youth Villages is a national leader in children’s mental and behavioral health, committed to building strong families, delivering effective services and significantly improving outcomes for children, families and young people involved in child welfare and juvenile justice systems across the country. Founded in 1986, the organization’s 3,600 employees help more than 36,000 children annually in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Youth Villages has been recognized by the Harvard Business School and U.S. News & World Report and was identified by The White House as one of the nation’s most promising results-oriented nonprofit organizations.

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Youth

ELINA USES HER LIFE EXPERIENCE TO ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS

Elina spent her summer at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C., working on projects designed to increase wealth and financial mobility for lowerincome Americans.

She’s influencing policy and advocating for young people who experience foster care. Elina’s come a long way from the child who entered foster care at age 6.

Elina’s father was incarcerated soon after her birth; then, her mother left. She and her younger sibling entered the child welfare system, and it was a rocky journey. After several foster homes, Elina was adopted, but even there she faced abuse.

“I realized that if I wanted a chance at a somewhat normal life, I had to do something,” she said. “So, I did the only thing I knew how to do: I ran away.”

In the middle of her senior year of high school, Elina showed up on the steps of a homeless shelter and put herself back in foster care.

Elina was the keynote speaker at Steven Tyler's GRAMMY® Viewing Party and Gala in Los Angeles. The event raised $4.6 million for Janie's Fund, which supports LifeSet.

Elina and other young women who participated in the LifeSet Scholars program were honored guests at the Gala and walked the red carpet with Steven Tyler.

Elina continues on page 7

YOUTH VILLAGES GOLF CLASSIC BREAKS EVENT RECORD

The 11th anniversary of the Youth Villages Golf Classic presented by Snell Family Charitable Foundation and in partnership with Thomas & Company, was held on June 27 at Legends. The sold-out event engaged 30 corporate and community-based teams in a shot-gun style, four-person golf scramble to raise a record-breaking $86,000 for the LifeSet program in Middle Tennessee.

LifeSet provides critical services to young people who have experienced foster care and are transitioning into independent adulthood. Many of these youth exit the foster care system with zero family support and need guidance as they navigate adulthood.

Middle Tennessee has LifeSet specialists working weekly with these young people to reach their housing, employment, education, life skills and healthy relationship goals. Often, these young people leave the foster care

The Piedmont Natural Gas team focuses on making the putt during the annual golf classic benefiting LifeSet.

system with no safety net and find themselves facing many hardships that include poverty, homelessness, substance abuse and untreated mental health issues.

Since its inception, LifeSet has served more than 5,600 youth in Middle Tennessee, and outcomes continue to improve annually. To evaluate the success of LifeSet, Youth Villages’ data science department conducts phone surveys with youth at discharge and at six- and 12-months post-discharge. Our FY21 outcomes for LifeSet youth at one-year post-discharge include: 91% of youth living at home or independently; 88% report no legal involvement; and 83% are in school, graduated or employed. These outcomes demonstrate that LifeSet reduces the risk of homelessness, poverty, and recidivism for these youth and sets them on a path to

successful adulthood. By providing crucial services to these youth, LifeSet reinforces Youth Villages’ mission to help children and families live successfully, which makes Middle Tennessee communities stronger and healthier for the future.

Take Merek, for example. Merek was in and out of foster care as a child and had no clue what she would do when leaving care until she found LifeSet. “LifeSet gave me support and gave me hope,” Merek said. “When in foster care, I had no hope for where I would end up in life, but Youth Villages helped me realize my potential, my dreams, my goals and how I can work toward meeting them.”

Merek graduated Cum Laude from Tennessee Tech and accepted a position with Youth Villages as a family intervention specialist in our Intercept program helping children and families find success.

“I am beyond grateful to Youth Villages, and I believe I never would have made it to where I am today without the guidance and support of all of the wonderful people in LifeSet who taught me and supported me over the years,” Merek said. “I was able to learn so many things that helped me transition into adulthood and independence, and I gained so much support from so many wonderful people who work at Youth Villages and I

am proud to be able to call my former support system my coworkers and family.”

LifeSet is helping dozens of other young people like Merek reach their full potential. During the last

fiscal year, Youth Villages served 568 transition-age youth in Middle Tennessee.

On any given day, approximately 215 youth are served through the LifeSet program.

The team from Renasant Bank, sponsors at the Champions for Children level at Youth Villages Golf Classic.

The annual Youth Villages Golf Classic is the largest fundraising event for LifeSet in Middle Tennessee. We thank our sponsors, vendors, golfers and volunteers for a successful event.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Helen & Rod Roudi

THANK YOU TO OUR VENDORS

Cat Financial volunteers helping to sort backpacks and school supplies.

BACKPACK

HEROES HELP LOCAL FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE DURING BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Youth Villages’ annual Backpack Heroes campaign provides new backpacks, school supplies and essential items needed for youth enrolled in our services to be successful in school.

Nearly 90% of the youth we serve come from lowincome families and cannot afford proper school supplies or backpacks. Additionally, the rising costs of goods have put even more financial stress on our families who are struggling to make ends meet.

The goal of Backpack Heroes is to alleviate this financial burden for our families, foster families and young people in LifeSet by supplying them with the items they need to be successful for the school year.

Since the start of the pandemic, we continue to see a need for technology support, including laptops for our young people going to college or technical school. To fulfill this need, a local family foundation challenged us with a $25,000 matching grant to raise a total of $50,000 to fund 80 laptops for area young people in LifeSet.

“These young people have exited foster care with little to no support and participate in the LifeSet program to receive the help they need as they transition into independent adulthood,” said Greg Schott, assistant

YOUTH VILLAGES PROVIDES 1,414 CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND YOUNG PEOPLE WITH BACKPACKS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND TECHNOLOGY NEEDS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE.

director of development. “Every year, the need for laptops increases because laptops are no longer a luxury for these young people. It is a necessity for them to complete any kind of secondary education from college to trade school.”

So far, Youth Villages has provided laptops to 80 older teens in Middle Tennessee with donations raised by Backpack Heroes. However, we expect to have 150 youth in need of laptops this school year as new young people enter our programs.

“These laptops do not just help students complete school assignments, attend virtual classes and participate in group projects, they also help young people find employment through job searching, attending virtual job fairs and submitting online applications,” Schott said. “These laptops are a necessity to make these kids’ dreams of being a successful adult a reality.”

Youth Villages will continue to accept donations to the program as school-aged children will enter our programs all year long. For more information about funding laptops for our youth, contact Greg Schott, greg.schott@youthvillages.org.

“Right at my lowest, I was introduced to the LifeSet program,” she said. “Through my group home, I was linked with a specialist who started our first meeting asking about the goals I wanted to achieve. Up until that moment, no one had asked me about what I wanted or needed.”

LifeSet helped Elina begin to think seriously about what she wanted to do with her life. “It provided me support every step of the way. From setting up a checking account to getting connected with quality mental health care... Having such a healthy and sustainable relationship with this program ultimately taught me that I am capable and worthy of connection and compassion and support.”

After graduating high school, Elina became a LifeSet Scholar, where LifeSet participants receive extra support from Youth Villages as they pursue higher education or vocational certification. In the program, Elina was matched with a Youth Villages staff member as a mentor. She completed a four-year degree with a double major in international studies and English literature and double minors in human rights and economics.

“I can say with confidence that without LifeSet, I simply would not have that accomplishment under my belt,” Elina said.

After graduation, Elina thought through what she wanted to do next with her specialist and mentor.

“I realized that I want to be part of the solutions in making our societies more just for the most vulnerable,” she said.

As she goes back to school this fall to complete her master’s degree, Elina will continue to receive support from the LifeSet Scholars program.

“I’m forever grateful to those who showed me love even when I felt unlovable and saw things in me that I couldn’t see myself. I’m here because of them,” she said.

Elina continued

Elina is completing her master’s degree at the prestigious Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

YOUTH VILLAGES FEATURED ON PBS AND NPR

Youth Villages’ LifeSet and Intercept programs garnered national attention in recent months from PBS Newshour and NPR Saturday Morning Edition.

The two stories honed in on issues facing our young people across the country, including mental health challenges, increase in youth suicides, access to mental health care and the need for comprehensive support for those aging out of foster care at 18.

You can watch the PBS Newshour piece and listen to NPR’s story by scanning the QR codes here.

Jackie with her Intercept Supervisor Sydney Earle.

LOOKING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON?

HOLIDAY HEROES SPONSORSHIPS 2022 November and December $1,000 – Holiday party for one Nashville group home $3,000 – Holiday party for all three Nashville group homes to celebrate and receive their gifts together $5,000 – Holiday party for LifeSet, providing a bridge from foster care to independent adulthood $10,000 – Supply wish list gifts for children experiencing foster care

$25,000 – Last Minute Kids sponsor providing gifts for the 300+ children who come into our care days before Christmas

$50,000 – Holiday Heroes Presenting Sponsor (Holiday Heroes presented by “your company” benefiting Youth Villages); as the presenting sponsor of the campaign, you will be providing critical resources and funds to ensure 2,500 Middle Tennessee children will receive gifts for the holidays

Lyndsay Wilkinson Lyndsay.wilkinson@youthvillages.org | 615-250-7278 youthvillages.org/holidayheroes

Dawn Warner in front of her Blue Sky Cottage booth at the Painted Tree Marketplace in Franklin, which donates 10% of proceeds to local youth servicing organizations as part of its Positive Difference Program.

DAWN WARNER

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

A Nashville native, Dawn Warner has been a volunteer and supporter of Youth Villages for more than a decade. During this time, she has provided backpacks and school supplies, luggage, holiday gifts and essential items like toiletries for our children and young people in our programs. If there is a need, Dawn always steps up for our children and families. Dawn is the owner of Blue Sky Cottage, a gift and décor shop that gives back through its Positive Difference program to local children in Middle Tennessee. Dawn and her husband, Scott, live in Brentwood and have two college-aged children.

How do you support Youth Villages of Middle Tennessee?

We try to do things for the group homes several times a year, hopefully brightening their days and reminding them that people care about them.

We provide Valentine’s Day and Easter gifts each year, along with Halloween costumes and treat bags for each of the youth at the group homes. We have recently started taking the teens in group homes on a shoe shopping adventure during back-to-school each year where they get to pick out their own new shoes... it is definitely a fun day! We also provide Christmas gifts for several children through Holiday Heroes and school supplies through Backpack Heroes, and participate in the Friends in Need campaign, which provides emergency support for children and families throughout the year.

When did you first become involved with Youth Villages?

I believe 11 years ago I had my first meeting with Youth Villages. They were just establishing a volunteer program at that time, and I was not sure how to help or get involved, but I knew I wanted to. Over the years, they have listened to my different ideas of how I wanted to help and fulfill the direct needs of the children in their care.

Why do you personally support Youth Villages with your philanthropic investment?

My heart and passion is to bring joy directly to children right here in my own community. I also believe in having more of a hands-on approach with our philanthropy. The wonderful staff at Youth Villages has found so many ways for me and my store’s Positive Difference program to do just that! Whether it is giving simple costumes to youth for their Halloween party, sending diapers directly to a young adult having a new baby or taking kids shopping for new school shoes... I just really appreciate that we get to fill in some of the gaps with resources that directly impacts kids.

Why should someone consider becoming more involved with Youth Villages?

If you are looking for a nonprofit that helps children of all ages, Youth Villages is a wonderful place for you to start and share your kindness. In whatever ways you want to help, the team at Youth Villages will guide you to what is needed and make effective use of your donations and time.

Youth Villages does so much for so many, and the staff I work with genuinely care for the kids they serve. I feel like they are always listening to what is needed and ways to make those needs happen. They also have many programs

and campaigns where people and corporations can donate and make a difference. Whether it is Backpack Heroes, Holiday Heroes, Friend In Need... there are plenty of convenient opportunities to get involved. And I believe it says a lot about an organization when their employees stay for a long time, and I have been working with the same staff since I started volunteering over a decade ago.

Contact Rae Ryan at rae.ryan@youthvillages.org for more information about supporting Youth Villages.

What do you think sets Youth Villages apart in its work with children and families?

Dawn Warner in front of Halloween bags she made for the Nashville group homes.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN

INNOVATOR

$100,000+

Anonymous

VISIONARY

$50,000 to $99,999

Marlene and Spencer Hays Foundation Anonymous

PILLAR

$25,000 to $49,999

The HCA Foundation

The Memorial Foundation

The Tennessee Titans Foundation

Drs. Victor and Lizabeth Thomas Ticket to Dream Foundation

LEADER

$10,000 to $24,999

AHEAD

Altria

Anonymous

Anonymous

Carlson Family Foundation

The Carolyn Smith Foundation

The Clayton Potter Foundation

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Dell Genesco, Inc.

Joe C. Davis Foundation

Junior League of Nashville Maximus Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Ryan and Shannon Millen NaviHealth, Inc.

Snell Family Charitable Foundation

Mr. and Mrs. Stuart Speyer Mrs. Laura Stasko Thomas & Company

PROTECTOR

$5,000 to $9,999

Advance Financial Foundation

The Arbor Rouge Foundation Boulevard Bolt

Caterpillar Financial Change Healthcare Mr. and Mrs. James Fishel Mr. and Mrs. William Hamburg The Jones Fund

Keiser Family Fund Maddox Fund

Piedmont Natural Gas Dr. David Trenner

BUILDER

$1,000 to $4,999

The 4th Wall, LLC

AbbVie

Mr. Jon Baumgarten

Mrs. Cassidy Bentley

Charity Golf International, LLC

The Churchill Foundation

Mr. Todd Cyphers

The Dale Family Foundation

DBH Distributing, LLC

Mr. Paul Dent Mr. Jason Egly EWI of Nashville Exchange Club of Donelson/ Hermitage Mr. Julian Fox Mr. Ken Fitzpatrick Mr. Stephen Francescon Mrs. Lee Frantz Hilary Gelders

Mr. and Mrs. Harris Gilbert

Dr. and Mrs. John Greer Ms. Lisa Gregory Hannah Constructors, LLC Mr. Andrew Hawkins Highland Corp Charitable Foundation

Mrs. LeeAnn Hill Icon Mechanical, LLC Jackson National Life Insurance Company

Eva and Ricky Johnson Mrs. Heloise Kuhn Ms. Lilly Lapidus

Letty-Lou and Joe Gilbert, Jr. Advised Fund

Lewis Thomason Charitable Giving, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Ben and Amanda Madonia McLeroy Foundation

Ms. Katherine McElroy Mr. Miller Orr Mrs. Aylin Ozgener

Mrs. Esen Ozgener

Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Jennifer Patterson

Robert Penick

Jason Plunkett

R.C. Mathews Contractor Ms. Christine Rachelle

Renasant Bank

Mr. David Reynolds Rogers Group, Inc.

Mr. and Mrs. Clark Rollins Mr. and Mrs. Rod and Helen Roudi Ryan Homes

Ryan Tracy Ms. Michelle Schott Mrs. and Mr. Lisa Small Ms. Amy Stoianowski

Mr. and Mrs. Gary Stuart Mr. and Mrs. Van Swofford TechnologyAdvice

UBS Financial Services

VolCorp

Mr. and Mrs. Knox Walkup Washtopia

Waypoint Financial Partners Whitehall Benefits, LLC Mr. Luke Wilkinson

time (above $1,000)

please call 615-250-7200.

CONGRATS TO THE CLASS OF 2022

LIFESET CELEBRATES HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE GRADUATIONS IN MIDDLE TENNESSEE

This year, we celebrated 68 graduations in the Middle Tennessee LifeSet program from both high school and college. These young people have experienced foster care and are working towards reaching their independent living goals, which includes pursuing higher education.

According to a 2020 report from the National Foster Youth Institute, youth who have aged out of foster care: 90% are unemployed, 50% have been incarcerated, 53% are not participating in any kind of secondary education program and 23% are homeless.

Tristan is the perfect example of how LifeSet can work to prevent these outcomes and help a young person achieve success despite facing barriers.

Tristan spent the majority of his teenage years in foster care and aged out when he turned 18 with little to no family support.

“When I was about to turn 18, I knew I would be leaving my foster home, and it was nerve-racking,” Tristan said. “I went from a situation where I had to ask permission to do anything in foster care to needing to find a place to live on my own when I turned 18, and it was a scary time for me.”

Tristan, LifeSet participant and recent Vanderbilt grad, is addressing the students at the LifeSet graduation celebration.

Tristan knew he would benefit from having additional help and guidance as he transitioned into adulthood, especially when pursuing higher education.

“LifeSet was the best chance I had to help me figure something out and avoid homelessness,” Tristan said. “It also helped me make sure I was doing all the necessary steps, especially for college... it helped me enroll and apply for scholarships because I had no experience in that.”

Tristan graduated from Vanderbilt University this past spring and is currently pursuing a master’s in social work from Columbia University.

“Now I am making decisions that will shape my future, and I don’t know if I would have been able to make those decisions without their guidance and support,” Tristan said.

Congratulations to Tristan and our other Middle Tennessee graduates pursuing higher education at colleges that include Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Austin Peay, Nashville State, Columbia State Community College, TCAT and the University of Memphis.

year-end gift to help the youth

YOUTH VILLAGES

3310 Perimeter Hill Drive

Nashville, TN 37211

(Address Service Requested)

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE

VILLAGES

Youth Villages is a private nonprofit that serves more than 36,000 children and their families each year from offices in the following cities:

Alabama: Auburn, Birmingham, Mobile

Arkansas: Jonesboro, Searcy, West Memphis (Fort Smith and Little Rock coming soon!)

Florida: Lakeland

Georgia: Atlanta, Douglasville

Indiana: Bloomington, Columbus, Indianapolis

Louisiana: Metairie

Kentucky: Lexington, Louisville/Jeffersonville (Indiana)

Massachusetts: Boston, Worcester, West Springfield, Raynham, Woburn (Cape Space coming soon!)

Mississippi: Biloxi, Greenwood, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Jackson, Meridian, Tupelo

New Hampshire: Manchester, Plymouth

North Carolina: Asheville, Boone, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Louisburg, Raleigh-Durham, Waynesville, Wilmington

Ohio: Worthington

Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa

Oregon: Bend, Portland, Salem

Tennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dickson, Dyersburg, Jackson, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, Paris Washington, D.C.

New Heights Middle Tennessee is published by Youth Villages

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