Jeremiahs Promise

Programs: Mentoring and mentor training and supervision: jeremiahs promise seeks to give the youth we serve an equal chance at success in our communitys colleges and businesses, as well as to mentor them to break through cultural, racial, and ethnic barriers that would otherwise hold them back relationally, academically, professionally, economically and socially. Through mentoring, we lay the groundwork for these often-forgotten youth to achieve positive outcomes and to empower them to avoid engaging in relationships and behaviors that would further harm them and result in a loss of dignity and additional feelings of decreased self-worth. We recruit, screen, train and supervise the mentors we pair with former foster youth and non-minor dependents. The focus of the mentors is to provide these young people the resources and guidance required to complete post-high school/college coursework and to develop the skills needed to be successful in the working world and in their personal friendships and relationships.

workshops for foster youth attending community colleges: through college-based workshops, presently at the community college level, jeremiah's promise seeks to improve the life skills, academic resilience, feelings of competency and empowerment of emancipated foster youth and youth who are non-minor dependents as a result of california's ab12 law which allows foster youth to remain in the system until 21 years of age. In addition, these workshops aid in the development of a stable network of support; personal, relational and social undergirding; as well as, development of leadership ability. Professional and leadership development are a part of their growth toward independence as are other crucial life skills workshops we offer that assist in guiding these young adults toward more emotional maturity and self reliance. In these hard economic times, we also support transitional housing programs in our area, as well as, the former foster youth who participate in our local community college workshops by meeting basic requirements such as supplying them with toiletries, clothing for work or school functions, school supplies, and other emergency needs that housing programs are unable to fully fund. Our aim is to support the multiple touch points that will allow these vulnerable youth to regain their sense of dignity and importance to the overall community as a means of breaking the cycle of abuse and neglect they were born into.

web-based mentoring: this web-based series of courses and action items is aimed at empowering the disadvantaged men and women, ages 17 to 24, through support in changing destructive and self-sabotaging belief structures, attitudes and behaviors. Our purpose is to move them along toward competency in feelings of self worth; communication skills; dealing with past trauma; building a stable, reliable network of support; improving employability; establishing a vision for their lives; conflict management; social and relational skills; and support in dealing with addictive behaviors. Through this series of online course work, we aim to broaden their access to healthy relationships, educational and career opportunities; and improve their understanding and appreciation for cultural, racial, and ethnic diversity; as well as, instruction in professional conduct; conflict resolution; signals of abusive relationships and how to extricate themselves from these situations.