Youth Homes

Youth Homes provides clinical services to young adults who need a hand up. I’ve seen firsthand how impactful these services are for youth in need.

Youth Homes is a great organization that helps foster youth and young adults by assisting with counseling for life issues and assisting with any mental health issues.

I have been a volunteer for many years at Youth Homes Thrift Store. Through volunteering I have had the opportunity to listen to many of the staff at Youth Homes explain their wonderful programs and successes. The opportunities they offer their clients is amazing and the care they provide allows their clients to grow and thrive. At the Thrift Store, we know the work we do provides great opportunities for the youth which makes our volunteer time all worthwhile. I love when the clients come into our store, which they feel is their store. We volunteers are thrilled to see the joy they get selecting clothing, books or accessories for their rooms.

I have volunteered for Youth Homes since 2015 in many different ways. What I have learned is that they have a tremendous impact on many young people who have ended up in foster care. I have had a personal relationship with a few Youth when I was a mentor, and I have had more than one. Youth tell me that this organization saved their life. Currently I work at the thrift store. Over the last three years the store has evolved into a place people love to come, not just for the beautiful items they can purchase, but also to be part of a community supporting our youth.

It is a true joy to be able to volunteer at Youth Homes Thrift Shop! All the staff are so hard-working and kind. It is an honor to help this worthy cause and to be a small part of helping the youths.

Through its programs and incredible staff, Youth Homes provides the support, guidance and love that many of us take for granted growing up.

As a volunteer at the Youth Homes Thrift Shop, I have met many of the staff at Youth Homes. They are dedicated, professional, and loving individuals. I have also met many of the youth, and I can say, without a doubt they are benefiting greatly.

I've been involved with Youth Homes for a few years now, and love spending time at their thrift shop in Pleasant Hill. They run such a clean, professional, and welcoming store that you feel like you a a part of the Youth Homes family right when you step threw the door. The icing on the cake is the beautiful treasures you'll find every time you visit!

My daughter and I volunteered throughout her school years for a wide variety of organizations and groups. I can say with certainty and great pride in continuing these efforts on my own , that Youth Homes volunteering has proven to be the best of any programs we’ve supported
The program is uplifting for me and totally supportive of foster youth on so many levels.
I have met, learned from and been inspired by so many of the administrators, volunteers, the youth themselves and the greater community with which I’ve had the good fortune to collaborate. I am so lucky to be part of this generous, loving, and successful organization and it’s mission.

As a Homestylist, I was asked if I could help in the Thrift Store. I fell in love with this place! Run by volunteers, the store exists to raise funds for Foster children's projects. The Foster children also get to shop for themselves in this store. I signed up for two hours, and stayed for six, as the space is so filled with the vibrancy of the people there, and so filled with merchandise from the public. This project gave me such hope for the future of our Foster children in this area- that so many people are here, trying to make their lives filled with support.

I have been a supporter of Youth Homes for nearly a decade, they provide much more than a home to live in for their young clients who are in the foster care system. They provide a place full of emotionally empowering experiences, love, support, learning, and life skills. Support to further or complete their education, and job skills and help them build confidence. These incredible services will help this vulnerable demographic of youth move forward and thrive as they transition into adulthood.

~Angie

Having had a niece who successfully transitioned out of one of the Youth Homes' residential facilities, I have always been impressed with the quality of the services and the professionalism of its staff. This initial interaction led me to join several of the board's committees and eventually become a board member as of 2018. It has been a privilege working at the board level of the organization, helping to shape its policies and culture. Youth Homes is an innovator in its field and a critical component for at risk youth in our community.

I have had a wonderful experience participating in this organization at all levels: from volunteering at their thrift shop, to participating in fundraising events, to meeting donors, board members and former youth home youth... everyone is humble, dedicated to the cause, and passionate about helping youth.

Since my introduction to Youth Homes 10+ years ago, I've met volunteers and staff that are involved for solely one reason - to help youth who are in need of support because of difficult life circumstances. Youth Homes shows these kids they are worthy, cared for and valued, all while helping them develop the life skills they need to not only survive but thrive. I simply can't list all the programs here. From enrichment opportunities in activities that build confidence, job skill development by working at our thrift store to simply making sure these kids get to school and are engaged in learning to secure their future, these youth are gaining critical life skills while supported and cared for by a trauma-informed team of professionals and volunteers. Our thrift store provides critical clothing and other items for free to our youth, while giving them the opportunity to shop and make selections for themselves. Having this choice to select items that work for them and express who they are is so empowering for these kids who have a lot happen where they've had little to no choice. Youth Homes is truly making a difference in the lives of youth, redirecting them to a future that is bright and filled with opportunity. And this impact is not only felt by the youth themselves but also the people they engage with in their lives. Keep up the amazing work Youth Homes!

Youth Homes is an organization that touches the heart. It reaches out to youngsters who really need help, youngsters in the Foster Care system that don’t have a chance in life without a home, the love, the care, the training, and the mentoring provided by Youth Homes . To visit these kids when they first arrive in the homes, kids who have been beaten and abused in every way possible, kids who have been dealt a bad card in life and have no idea why and no longer trust anyone, is heart wrenching.
With loving care Youth Homes rebuilds their self-esteem, ensures school attendance and provides a stable home, one they will not be turned away from, no matter what. Youth Homes teaches self-respect and responsibility and care that are provided twenty four hours a day, seven days a week by dedicated counselors.
It is overwhelming to visit with many youth who have graduated out of Youth Homes and are now living a successful, independent and meaningful life.

I am a former Foster Dad. I know first hand how frightening and disruptive it is for young people to be taken from their home, no matter how horrible the circumstances. Many children are so traumatized and damaged that conventional foster placement won't work. Youth Homes provides a safe and caring environment for kids that don't fit anywhere else. They wrap around teh child emotional and mental health support to help them heal and grow strong. In this time, of shrinking health and welfare budgets, Youth Homes is one of very few Not For Profit organizations still delivering services that bring impact and promise to kids that have been victimized. Youth Homes Never Gives Up On A Kid!

Youth Homes, a non-profit organization working with abused and neglected children and adolescents in Contra Costa County, has a wonderful mission and commitment to turn away no child. I have found them to be a well-run, low-overhead organization that has changed the lives of many children. With 40 years of service, they have one of the best track records of any organization serving foster kids in Northern California. They also have a cadre of truly high quality supporters and donors who contribute much time and funds to the youth and the organization.

I have been working with Youth Homes for 3 years. One of the things that drew me to the agency is their very high success rate with kids. In the foster care world, success is measured by how many children leave your program on a "planned discharge" basis. The kids served by Youth Homes and other group home agencies are those who have serious issues to address before they can return to family-based living. Leaving under a Planned Discharge means their treatment goals have been met and they are now ready for a less intensive level of services. Statewide only 50% of foster kids leave on a planned discharge basis, where as 80% of our kids depart on this basis. This is a tribute to the fine care provided by our counselors and clinicians who work with the kids while they live in our homes. They are truly dedicated, and really "never give up on a kid".