Greetings from Judi - Spring Edition

Spring is the season of growth and renewal — and that’s an apt description of what’s been happening with the Footsteps to the Future over the past few months. Eight years ago, when we launched our original mentoring program, we envisioned it becoming a positive, driving force behind the empowerment of young women in our community’s foster care system. Indeed, Phase I of the program has proven very successful, with more than 83 young women mentored. What’s more, a few of the girls who came to our very first mentor meeting are still, now as young adults, involved in the program. Obviously, they haven’t outgrown their need for love and positive reinforcement that is the cornerstone of the mentor program. Along the way, our organization has grown organically and blossomed into a viable solution to some of the monumental challenges facing young women as they prepare for the day when they “age out” of the foster care at 18. We consistently worked with teens in the system and established relationships built on trust, understanding and love, primarily through one–on-one and group mentoring.

Nearly two years ago, as our original vision expanded, we transitioned into Footsteps to the Future. We focused on Phase II of our initial plan and have recently initiated a Transitional Living Program, which provides safe and affordable housing for aged-out young women as they are emancipated from foster care and have to live on their own with few life skills and very little to rely on. This has presented us with a new set of discoveries and challenges if we wanted to grow our program. We had to find a way to create even greater awareness in the community of the plight facing this population of young adults. We felt that once people became better informed of the situation occurring right here in their own backyards, they would be compelled to help make a difference. With that goal in mind, we have created “Visionary Gatherings.”

Last August, our first Transitional Living effort placed two young women and a child in a wonderful townhouse. Using skills learned from their mentors, and following our preset housing guidelines, these young women are thriving. They’ve continued their education, become more goal-oriented, and are realizing the benefits of making positive choices in their evolving lives.

In July, two more young women, both just 18, will joining our Transitional Living Program. They are both excited and scared at the thought of being on their own, but also are grateful for the opportunity to participate in the program and to benefit from the guidance and resources we offer them.

Those include the constant contact we maintain with them, professional life coaching, and the importance of maintaining healthy lifestyles, physically and mentally. In return, the women in the program are expected to be responsible and accountable.

Through our personal observations and close relationships with all the young women involved with Footsteps, we have witnessed a wide range of damaging effects resulting from the trauma most foster children experience in the process of being removed from their homes and growing up in the system. That’s why our Transitional Living Program is also addressing a form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among foster children. We’ve contracted with several respected, well-trained professional clinicians to assist our young women in dealing with PTSD.

All things considered, we believe that Footsteps to the Future has become a progressive vehicle that offers real solutions to foster youth. Yet we also realize that the job is far from finished — and that we need the public’s help as we move forward. We ask you to please consider becoming a part of Footsteps to the Future. To learn about how you can make a significant difference in the lives of local foster youth and help them prepare to be the leaders of tomorrow, we invite you to attend one of our 50-minute Visionary Gatherings. In addition to viewing our informative new video, Aged-Out Foster Youth: Challenges and Solutions in Our Community, you’ll meet some of the young women in Footsteps and see just how you can fit in their future.

Contact me now if you want more information, and/or want to attend a future Gathering. Send an e-mail to judiwoods2@earthlink.net

The legendary anthropologist Margaret Mead once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Her wise words ring true now more than ever.

Love,

Judi Woods
Founder and Executive Director
Footsteps to the Future