My Nonprofit Reviews
Cassandra
Review for First Place for Youth, Oakland, CA, USA
I've been on the Board for one year now, and been a donor to First Place for more than five. I began supporting them because of my work with homeless adults and discovering that more than half of them had been part of the foster care system as children! At 18, foster youth lose all financial and empotional support from the State and are expected to be able to make it on their own - the reality is most don't even have their high school diplomas yet and many become homeless, teen parents, and/or involved in criminal activities. First Place provides the practical and caring support that many of us received from our parents to help these youth transition to adulthood and self-sufficiency. The staff are great champions for the youth, and the peer counselors help the young people to see that they really can change their lives. Although I'm impressed with the staff, program, and outcome measures, it is meeting the youth in the program that has inspired me most.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
helping youth to obtain and maintain affordable housing - last year 92% of those served were able to do so! And 87% of youth were able to enroll in college or a trade school - while working and maintaining their households.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
inspiring and dedicated and very comfortable with/attuned to the young people participating in the program.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
provide housing and support for thousands more foster youth across the State.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2009
