FAMILY VICTORIES FROM YOUTH VILLAGES
• RELIVE SPRING CELEBRATION MEMORIES ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: LIFESET ™ HELPS TYRA FIND HER VOICE
LIFESET SCHOLAR USES PLATFORM TO ADVOCATE FOR OTHERS
• NICFELIX FINDS INDEPENDENCE THROUGH LIFESET
• SUBARU AND OPERATION WARM PROVIDE COATS FOR YOUTH
Spring greetings from Youth Villages!
Here in the Northeast as nature comes alive with the buds popping and birds chirping, we are filled with gratitude for the continued support that sustains the heart of our mission. Your generosity has been instrumental in the success of our initiatives to help youth and families live successfully.
Thanks to your support, we fulfilled wish lists for 813 young people this holiday season, a 33% increase over last year, and saw a 65% increase in individual and corporate Holiday Heroes sponsors. We welcomed the support of 10 new corporate partners between Holiday Heroes and essential items drives, such as personal hygiene and winter warm kits. We also started a new corporate partnership that provided 360 coats to our youth this winter!
Your generous contributions have played a pivotal role in advancing our mission, allowing us to positively impact more than 1,000 children and young adults across Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine daily. It is through the collective efforts of individuals like you that we can deliver not only lifechanging services but joy and comfort to enhance the lives of our youth and their families.
On May 2, we celebrate Red Kite Nite, our annual gala event, to recognize the tremendous impact of our donors and hear the incredible stories of our young people and their families on the road to living successfully and achieving independence. This year, we honor the remarkable Yvonne Hao, a former Youth Villages local board member and current Massachusetts Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development. Her contributions to both Youth Villages and the Commonwealth have been instrumental in creating positive change and fostering opportunities for countless individuals.
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to this entire community for rallying behind us and being true advocates for change.
Matt Stone EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
YOUTH VILLAGES MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE & MAINE
Amanda Eisel, Chair
Peter Campanella
Ryan Hayden
Joanna Jacobson
Fran Lawler
Kristen Lucken
Pamela Giasson Lynch
Amanda Clark MacMullan
Malisa Schuyler
Marc Sorel
Wendy Vincent
Pramila Yadav, MD
Youth Villages is a national leader in mental and behavioral health committed to finding the most effective solutions to help children, families and young adults overcome obstacles and live successfully. Working through direct services, partnerships with other high-performing agencies and advocacy, we collaborate to bring positive change to child welfare, children’s mental health and justice systems. Our 4,000 employees serve more than 39,000 children and young adults in more than 100 locations in 26 states and D.C. 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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The blossoms of spring usher in a new season and always signal that it’s time for our annual Spring Celebration. Our annual gala, now named Red Kite Nite, is a cherished tradition that brings our community together for an evening of celebration, camaraderie and meaningful story sharing.
It is true that Red Kite Nite brings out our best in festivity. However, it’s clear that these galas are more about building connections, fostering a sense of community and making a positive impact. Year after year, these galas remind us of what a community can do when it comes together.
Red Kite Nite serves a noble purpose as a platform for philanthropy, raising funds that directly impact kids and young adults in our local communities. The generosity of our attendees has made a significant impact, turning a night of celebration into an opportunity for positive change.
This year’s Red Kite Nite is scheduled for May 2 when we will carry forward the spirit of past celebrations, embracing the magic of spring and the joy of coming together in honor of philanthropy and service.
Operation Warm, Subaru of America, Patrick Subaru and Bertera Subaru team up to keep young people warm for the winter!
Securing a winter coat poses a challenge for many families and young adults in our programs. Winter in New England brings with it numerous costs that can become overwhelming. Paying heating bills, purchasing gas for vehicles and buying essentials like food and clothing can stretch budgets and make it difficult to afford everything that is needed.
This year, we partnered with Operation Warm, Subaru of America, Patrick Subaru and Bertera Subaru to provide 360 winter coats for youth in our programs. Subaru staff from two local dealerships filled Subarus with brand-new coats and delivered, unpacked, organized and sorted coats for delivery to youth in our programs.
These coats, of course, serve to keep our young people warm. But, for many, receiving a coat can hold more significance. It may be the first time in a youth’s life that they received a new coat still in the packaging, and this can greatly improve their confidence and self-esteem. Also, a specialist showing up to session with new coats can strengthen trust between them and the family, demonstrating Youth Villages’ commitment during hard moments and encouraging the families to ask for help.
The Subaru teams took time to listen to the stories of our youth and also learned about our LifeSet and Intercept® programs.
“The Subaru groups were just so kind and kept asking how they could do more,” said Julia Scarpellino, Regional Manager at Youth Villages. “We are thrilled about the impact they are having on our young people and are excited for this new partnership!”
“It was so eye-opening to see the critical and life-changing work that the folks over at Youth Villages are doing every day,” said Todd Stalker, General Manager at Patrick Subaru. “We at, Patrick Subaru, are honored to be working alongside this team to support their mission to make a difference in the lives of kids and young adults who need it.”
HEARTFELT THANKS TO PATRICK SUBARU AND BERTERA SUBARU FOR THEIR GENEROSITY AND THE DIFFERENCE THEY’VE MADE!
Children who grow up in foster care often face intense challenges at a young age. By the time they reach adulthood, accomplishing goals and making it on their own can feel nearly impossible. That’s why programs like LifeSet are so important for young adults aging out of state care. LifeSet is the bridge to successful adulthood and helps youth who experienced foster care enter the “real world” independently and successfully.
NicFelix entered the foster care system at a young age and longed for a permanent place to call home.
“No one wanted to keep me; I felt temporary,” NicFelix said. “I just wanted to stay in one place and have a stable home.”
Although he was in foster care, NicFelix stayed in touch with his family. But within a few years, NicFelix’s mother, father and sister had all passed away.
As a young adult on the cusp of aging out of state care and with no family to rely on, NicFelix carried a heavy burden.
He didn’t have the skills, tools or resources he needed to become an independent, successful adult. He had no idea how to navigate the ins and outs of adulthood like how to find an apartment, how to apply for a job and maintain employment, how to build and follow a budget or how to start the process of applying to college.
With the help from his state agency caseworker, NicFelix was referred to LifeSet. He worked with his LifeSet specialist, Nemesis, to identify a list of goals he wanted to achieve, including finding stable housing, creating and maintaining a budget and learning the skills he needed to live on his own. NicFelix and Nemesis worked together to put him on the path toward reaching those goals.
While working with LifeSet, NicFelix got his own apartment, found a job, enrolled in college signed up for a job training program. NicFelix also learned how to create and stick to a budget and became interested in the stock market,
NicFelix continues on page 11
For youth aging out of foster care without support, the future can be daunting. Some young people experience homelessness, poverty, domestic abuse and involvement with law enforcement.
Because of the trauma that she suffered as a child, Tyra struggled when she aged out alone at 18. She was referred to the Youth Villages LifeSet program.
With the help of her LifeSet specialist, Tyra graduated high school, earned her associate degree and will receive her bachelor’s degree in psychology science this spring. She’s started her own business, bought her first home and got married. Now, she mentors young people and tells her story for those who need help — and for those who can help.
She was the keynote speaker at the Achieving Success: Partnering with Transition-Age Young Adults for Strong Mental Health Workshop
in Las Vegas late last year. She was also the featured speaker at the 5th annual Jam for Janie GRAMMY Awards® Viewing Party. The event raises donations for Janie’s Fund, the philanthropic initiative between rockstar Steven Tyler and Youth Villages that helps girls and young women who have experienced trauma.
ABUSE, CONSTANT MOVING PROVIDED NO SAFE SPACE, STABILITY
Her childhood was rocky. She was left with her grandmother when her mother moved away without knowing why.
While living with her grandmother, Tyra suffered physical, emotional and spiritual abuse, and feels as if she grew up on the streets.
Eventually, her behavior led her to involvement with law enforcement. “At 12 years old, I received my first juvenile legal charge and was sent to live with my mother who I never really knew,” Tyra said.
Tyra lived with her mother for eight months, and while there she suffered abuse from her stepdad. Her mother didn’t believe her story and sent Tyra off to live with her father with whom Tyra had no relationship. “By the time I was 16 years old, I was a meth addict and I attempted suicide for the first time in my life,” Tyra said.
Following the abuse, Tyra went to therapy, but she continued to struggle, and she was admitted to a mental hospital. A week later, she was in court for her pending charges and suicidal ideation.
Tyra was diagnosed with bipolar disorder PTSD, major depression and ADHD, and those manifested themselves in physical aggression, drug use, running away and negative relationships.
“The two years that I was incarcerated, I was in two mental hospitals, two juvenile detention
centers and multiple residential facilities,” Tyra said. “I was sent home, but after a few months, I was returned to foster care. While there, I relapsed on drugs, ran away from my foster home and went back into the system. Those long months changed my life and a lot more than I imagined.”
Tyra was referred to Youth Villages and began to work through her trauma with a therapist.
“She helped me make my trauma narrative and go through the process
of what had happened to me,” Tyra said. “That trauma narrative is the reason why I’m able to tell my story.”
Tyra had aged out at 18 but was able to still receive support through Extension of Foster Care (EFC). She was free and ready to start a new life; however, she faced another challenge. “I did not know this world. I was in
this new city, and I didn’t have any support, any family,” Tyra said. “I got so overwhelmed just two months after aging out that I attempted to take my life a second time. I was in ICU for 17 hours. This, though, was the last time I ever felt suicidal. I decided that I just wanted to live through whatever was coming.”
At around this time, Tyra was introduced to LifeSet and her specialist, Gladyn. With help from LifeSet, Tyra began to build her village — a network of support that led to her success.
LifeSet is an individualized, evidenceinformed community-based program where specialists meet with young people who age out of foster care face-to-face at least once each week. LifeSet stabilizes the toughest situations and helps young people build healthy relationships, obtain safe housing, education and employment.
Tyra faced another obstacle in late 2022 when she lost her home to a house fire. The fire brought more trauma for Tyra because the home had provided stability and permanency in her life. Despite the tragedy, Tyra remained strong.
“In this situation, I didn’t relapse into suicidal ideations because my life is so much different now,” Tyra said.
“If it weren’t for Youth Villages and other foster care programs being there, I don’t know what I would have done after losing everything and having to start over again.
“With the support, resources, therapists, treatment plans, coping skills, mentorships and ultimately my village, I can conquer anything. I’m still healing, I’m still on this journey, and I want to be able to be the advocate for kids in foster care or transitioning to adulthood now.”
INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE IN FOSTER CARE TO HELP IMPROVE OUTCOMES FOR OTHER TRANSITION-AGE YOUTH
Youth Villages’ mission is to help children, families and young adults live successfully, and a critical part of achieving that mission daily is continuing to invest in foster youth aging out of care — both locally and nationally.
For this group of young people, the journey to adulthood is made with little or no support and can present many challenges. Organizations led by individuals with lived experience in child welfare systems provide an essential voice and partner in transforming that experience for those who come behind them.
As an extension of our work in this community, Youth Villages has developed a deep commitment to extending access to high-quality services for all youth aging out of care. Many young people who have experienced aging out go on to launch their own efforts to improve services for other transition-age youth. Investing in transition-age youth and the innovative programs they lead helps to improve outcomes for everyone through programming, advocacy and systems reform.
“We share a common goal of supporting young people as they make the transition to adulthood,” said Catherine Smith, Youth Villages managing director of business planning and policy. “We look forward to partnering with these organizations and their respective leaders who will bring invaluable lived experience and important perspective. Together, we will have an even greater positive impact on services and outcomes for transition-age young people.”
Many of these strategic partnerships are exploring even broader engagement with Youth Villages to include things like functional support, aligning in advocacy efforts and co-sponsoring events and activities in the future.
All of the work that occurs with young people in Middle Tennessee continues to inform Youth Villages’ national efforts and reinforces our belief in what is possible with this resilient group of fellow citizens who are working to become their very best selves and oftentimes break generational barriers in becoming amazing adults.
California Youth Connection/ Oregon Foster Youth Connection (Oregon statewide)
To establish OFYC as an independent, transition-age youth led advocacy organization to drive policy change.
Florida’s Children First/ Florida Youth SHINE (Florida statewide)
To launch the first phase of the youthled “YouthCanSHINE” campaign to drive greater change through advocacy and create statewide awareness of the supports that young people in care need to be successful.
Found Village (Cincinnati, Ohio)
To expand the support offered to transition-age young people in Hamilton County, Ohio by investing in staffing and program development to deliver the “Launch to Independence” program, which offers focused and intentional ageappropriate coaching, life skills training and career advancement opportunities for young people exiting foster care.
Freedom Forward (San Francisco, California)
To fund a guaranteed income pilot for transition-age young people aging out of foster care who are survivors of sexual exploitation in San Francisco.
Propelling into Triumph (Miami, Florida)
To expand a life skills coaching and mentorship program for transition-age young people in Miami, Florida.
SUN Scholars (Connecticut; nationwide project)
To build an AI-powered online education resource for transition-age young people graduating high school and the education professionals who support them.
Winston Rhea Scholars (New Orleans, Louisiana)
To serve transition-age young people in Louisiana and South Carolina through the expansion of a high-touch, intensive coaching/mentorship program that includes post-high school goal setting and financial support.
YSS (Des Moines, Iowa)
To provide workforce/professional development for child welfare and juvenile justice involved youth through a sustainable farming initiative.
Coming together as Backpack Heroes, we can ensure that every youth and young adult in our programs enters the school year with the tools and confidence they need to succeed. Let’s make this year’s campaign the most impactful one yet.
Together, we can build a brighter future — one backpack at a time!
$100,000+
Anonymous
Elizabeth and Phill Gross
The Mellen Fund
One8 Foundation PILLAR
$25,000 to $49,999
Anonymous (3)
$10,000 to $24,999
In Memory of Marler Stone
Michelle and Robert Atchinson
Beth Israel Lahey Health
Gifford Family Foundation
Fran Lawler
Jessica and Josh Lutzker
SBLI Charitable Foundation
Jenny Mak and Robert Swartz
Van Oossanen Family Fund
$5,000 to $9,999
Mr. Herbert Dike
Leader Bank Charitable Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Tony Madan
Margot Skinner
Jen and Seth Stier
Zelis
$1,000 to $4,999
Anonymous
Arnold Worldwide Inc.
2,446
YOUTH SERVED
Burns & Levinson
Carrie and Timothy Burr
CBRE Group, Inc.
Mr. John Cook
CREF
First Congregational Church in Winchester
Ms. Jennifer Geyer
Mr. and Mrs. Joshua Greenhill
Havas Media
Janice and Ralph James
Kathleen and Jeffrey Mortimer
quantiphi
Mr. and Mrs. Knox Walkup
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Foundation
Elise Zoli
NicFelix
from page 5
spending almost all of his free time learning everything possible about trading stocks.
“NicFelix is so smart, and he can do anything he sets his mind to,” Nemesis said. “His drive comes from his challenges. When he gets something in his head, he’s going to do it no matter how hard it is or how long it takes.
NicFelix is majoring in accounting at college.
“I want to become an accountant and help people like me get out of poverty,” he said. “Once you’re in that situation, it’s so hard to get out of it but there IS a way. You just have to work hard. I want to be there for people and help show them that.”
LifeSet helped NicFelix navigate the road to successful and independent adulthood.
“I am so grateful to LifeSet for helping me with the things no one else was there to help me with,” he said.
“I definitely wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t have Youth Villages.”
And Nemesis is so proud of him.
“When you have a young adult like NicFelix, he makes me value the things that I have,” she said. “He’s an inspiration to me and when he achieves even the smallest goal that he has, no feeling compares to that.”
There are many ways that you and your company or organization can get involved. Become a volunteer, host a drive at your office, attend an event, or sponsor a young person through Backpack Heroes. Your support will directly impact the hundreds of young people we serve every day in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine.
Donations & Donor-Advised Fund/Foundations
Katie Dilly, Director of Development
Katherine.Dilly@youthvillages.org | 617-680-9034
Events & General Support
Mackenzie Giuffre, Development Manager
Mackenzie.Giuffre@youthvillages.org | 781-258-3275
Volunteering & Corporate Partnerships
Sam Tyler, Development Coordinator
Samantha.Tyler@youthvillages.org | 781-937-5219
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12 Gill Street, Suite 5800
Woburn, MA 01801
(Address Service Requested)
Youth Villages is a private nonprofit that serves more than 39,000 children and their families each year from offices in the following cities:
Alabama: Auburn, Birmingham, Mobile
Arizona: Phoenix
Arkansas: Jonesboro, Little Rock, Searcy, West Memphis
Florida: Lakeland
Georgia: Atlanta, Douglasville
Indiana: Bloomington, Columbus, Indianapolis
Kentucky: Lexington, Louisville
Louisiana: Metairie
Massachusetts: Boston, Marlborough, West Springfield, Raynham, Woburn
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: Dayton, 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.
