What is a Footsteps “Visionary Gathering”?

vi•sion•ary
A vision can be political, religious, environmental, social, or technological in nature. By extension, a visionary can also be a person with a clear, distinctive and specific (in some details) vision of the future, may be connected with social change. Other visionaries simply imagine what does not yet exist, but might some day, as some forms of visioning provide a glimpse into the possible future.

gath•er•ing
A gathering is where a group of stimulating people of quality, under the roof of an inspiring hostess or host, come together to increase their knowledge through information and conversation.

Footsteps to the Future, with the generous support of local volunteer hosts, conducts a series of Visionary Gatherings where concerned individuals such as yourself are made aware of the plight of aged-out foster youth. For example, did you know that…
• 70% of foster youth age out of the system (in Florida, at age 18) without a high school diploma or GED
• 50% of foster youth re-enter “the system” after aging out via drug and alcohol abuse, crime, unwanted pregnancies and homelessness
• 70% of the prison population has spent some time in foster care

At these special events, we also showcase our brand-new documentary, Aged-Out Foster Youth: Challenges and Solutions in Our Community. Working with a grant provided by the American Association of University Women, Footsteps contracted with John Biffar of Dreamtime Entertainment in Cape Coral, FL, to produce the 12-minute video. After hours of filming and expert editing by Dreamtime’s Dave Beaty, we have assembled an enlightening and entertaining film, including several compelling stories from the young women in Footsteps.

We are currently seeking individuals and groups to host 40-minute Visionary Gatherings. We ask hosts to invite 8-12 people to your home or business to view the Footsteps video, meet some of the wonderful young women in our program, and ask guests to become involved with our program, from mentoring to donating clothing. Refreshments — bagels and coffee, tea and scones, or wine and cheese — are typically served. No Gathering is too large (the video premiered recently at “Jazz on the Green” to hundreds of people) or too small (two women watched the video at the SW FL Community Foundation last month).

If you, or someone you know, would like to host an upcoming Visionary Gathering, please contact us at judiwoods2@earthlink.net. As we like to say: We need your Time, your Talent and your Treasure!