TOGETHER WE RISE CORPORATION
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Mission Statement
The mission of Foster Love is to transform the way youth navigate the foster care system in America.
About This Cause
Foster Love (formally known as Together We Rise) was born in 2008 after founder Danny Mendoza made a harrowing discovery: His 9-year-old cousin was living in a car. Due to DCFS’s policies limiting care provision for adults under the age of 21, Danny’s attempts to provide relief to his cousin were consistently stymied. This experience caused Danny to gain a rapid awareness of the harsh realities that foster youth in America face. Instead of giving up, Danny decided to dedicate himself fully to improving the lives of children like his cousin who are navigating the foster care system. Danny’s vision became a reality as Together We Rise: Foster Love was born. Since then, Foster Love has grown into one of the nation’s largest volunteer engagement organizations, making it possible for anyone, anywhere to make an impact on the lives of foster youth. Foster youth continue to sit at the intersection of most of our country’s major social problems: Homelessness, poverty, human trafficking, food insecurity, environmental injustice, and more. Youth in care are four times more likely to be diagnosed with a learning disorder and seven times more likely to suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Despite the fact that almost 100% of high school foster youth report dreams of graduating from college, only 50% will graduate with a high school diploma. Of that small number, only 3% will go on to graduate from college. Upon aging out, one out of every five foster youth will become instantly homeless. Within 18 months, 50% will be homeless and/or incarcerated. Most concerningly, 60% of the children and young adults who have fallen victim to human trafficking are former foster youth. By collaborating with a network of volunteers, social workers, foster agencies, individuals, foundations, and corporations, Foster Love has been able to change the lives of a record-breaking number of children in the foster care system. One of the most prominent ways we have been able to accomplish this is through our comprehensive and accessible team-building service activity projects. These projects allow organizations, companies, churches, and other groups of interested community members to fundraise for and participate in hands-on, team-building service experiences while witnessing their contributions in action within their community. Our dedicated team members work closely with these groups to develop an appropriate and effective service activity plan that meets the wants and needs of the team as well as the foster youth living within their respective communities. The program opportunities we currently offer include the following: SWEET CASES/TEEN DUFFLES: When children enter foster care, they are often provided one to two black trash bags to move their few belongings in. Not only does this put the pressure of condensing necessities on children already experiencing unimaginable trauma, but it also portrays to the child that their belongings are akin to garbage. To address this, Foster Love developed Sweet Cases. Sweet Cases are personally designed, brand-new duffle bags that are filled with comfort items and necessities such as a teddy bear, a hygiene kit, a blanket, a pillow, art supplies, and a personalized note. With a Sweet Case in hand, foster youth now have a bag that will stay with them throughout their journey, providing comfort and storage no matter where they are or where they go. Foster Love provides an average of 50,000 Sweet Cases annually. BIKE BUILD: Children who are experiencing the foster care system often miss out on simple childhood joys, such as riding a bicycle. Through Foster Love’s Bike Build program, we provide free bicycles to thousands of foster care youth annually. These bicycles spark lasting memories of laughter, hope, adventure, and community for a foster child. Additionally, two out of every three children in foster care do not have access to transportation. For teenagers, these bicycles fill that gap by providing a means of transportation to go to school or to visit and reunite with their siblings. Foster Love provides an average of 3,000 bicycles to foster youth annually. BUILD A BOARD: As previously mentioned, the majority of children in foster care lack access to transportation. Additionally, youth who are attempting to navigate the unpredictable world of foster care are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to establishing extracurricular hobbies and interests. Our Build A Board program seeks to address this by providing foster care youth with their own, brand-new, personalized skateboard. Studies indicate that early and safe introductions to skateboarding can improve a child’s coordination, precision, confidence, and reflexes. The lessons that can be instilled in children through skateboarding have the ability to cultivate life skills that transcend the passage of time. On average, Foster Love provides 2,000 skateboards to foster youth per year. BIRTHDAY BOXES: Childhood birthdays create lasting memories of togetherness, warmth, and love. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for foster youth to miss out on this experience as their special day can easily go forgotten. Foster Love developed Birthday Boxes, a personalized box that comes with a hand-made birthday card to remind each child how special and important their day truly is. Decorations are an important part of any birthday celebration, so these boxes also include party streamers, assorted paper stars, paper hats, colorful confetti, balloons, candles, and a festive birthday banner. On average, Foster Love provides 10,000 birthday boxes to youth annually. SUPERHERO BOXES: Despite the best efforts of professionals in the human services field, navigating the foster care system continues to be a challenging and traumatic experience for children. 14% of children in foster care experience depression, which is seven times higher than the national average. To remedy this, Foster Love developed the Superhero Box program to remind foster youth that they are S.U.P.E.R. (Self Assured, Uplifted, Proud, Empowered, and Resilient). Superhero Boxes come packed with a cape, mask, cuffs, and bracelet so that each child can look like the hero they are. We also include a pencil, pouch, a bouncy ball, temporary tattoos, a pillowcase, and a Hero ID card. On average, Foster Love provides 4,000 superhero boxes annually. STEM BOXES: One of our newest initiatives is the STEM Box program. Less than half of youth who have experienced foster care graduate from high school. Of that already small number, only 3% of foster youth will go on to graduate from college. These shocking statistics are what inspired Foster Love to develop the STEM Box program. Research indicates that early engagement with STEM enhances critical thinking skills, strengthens communication skills, and encourages intuition, all of which are crucial as foster youth enter adulthood. Unfortunately, approximately half of foster youth exiting the system end up experiencing homelessness. By creating a love for learning and an early appreciation for a stable field, Foster Love hopes to drastically change these statistics within the community. To date, approximately 5,000 STEM Boxes have been provided to foster youth. In addition to our service activity projects, Foster Love provides annual special events. The most prominent of these are our sibling reunification events wherein Foster Love reunites hundreds of sibling sets that have been separated by the foster care system for a day of fun at theme parks such as Disneyland and Six Flags. Other special events include our nationwide teen shopping sprees, feeding families campaigns, back-to-school backpack programs, Socktober, and holiday stocking initiatives among others. Despite the fact that almost 100% of high school foster youth report dreams and aspirations of graduating from college, only 50% will receive a diploma. Of that small number, only 3% will go on to graduate from college. This is the result of repeated systemic failures that severely limit a foster child’s access to vital support and resources. To meet the needs of this highly vulnerable population, Foster Love implements three pivotal programs for transition-age and former foster youth. Family Fellowship Scholarship Program: The Family Fellowship builds, nurtures, and sustains a permanent network of relationships and resources that enable participants to earn their college degrees, become active/positive members of their respective communities, pursue advanced degrees, and confidently enter into the professional workforce equipped with support and security. This is accomplished through the provision of full-tuition scholarships, financial support, tutors, monthly housing allowances to include housing for summer and winter breaks, technology supplies, and the availability of wrap-around emotional support services year-round. To date, the Family Fellowship has graduated 26 students with 100% of the program’s recipients reaching full completion of their undergraduate programs. Currently, ten are pursuing advanced degrees and four have already graduated with at least a Master’s. Rapid Response: Rapid Response provides emergency financial assistance to foster youth who are at imminent risk of dropping out of school, becoming homeless, and/or suffering from food insecurity. To date, Rapid Response has provided life-changing basic need support to over 2,000 former foster youth nationwide. American Industries Scholarship Program: Foster Love’s new American Industries scholarship program is available to current and former foster youth who are pursuing a trade degree/certification at a two-year college or vocational-technical school. The American Industries scholarship provides access to academic and workforce opportunities for current and former foster youth. To accomplish this, scholarship recipients receive up to $10,000 annually for up to two years in an effort to alleviate the financial burdens associated with securing a trade certification, licensure, and/or vocational degree. To ensure their long-term success, recipients will also receive access to personal mentorship and career development services.