Hi! My name is Sadie Wilke and I am organizing the creation and development of a program at Florida Gulf Coast University. This program is going to exist to support former foster youths in numerous ways including providing community, support, groceries, toiletry items, and more. I hope to potentially even create a food and basic needs pantry where any former foster youth can come and receive whatever items they need for free. Less than 3% of all foster youths graduate college due to a variety of tragic reasons. One of those reasons are financial barriers and lack of support. My goal is to have my program be a safe place for these individuals where they can come to a community who loves them and also is able to support them. These people are a valuable and significant part of our future and we cannot let them be forgotten. They deserve to be able to chase their dreams, and removing these small barriers is an essential first step to take. We need your help to make this possible! If you feel led and are able, a donation of any size would mean the world for these kids. If you want to help in another way, spread the word about how only 3% of foster youths graduate college! Advocating for this cause is just as important and valuable because the more people that know about this issue, the more connections we will have to help! From the bottom of my heart, thank you. You don't know the importance impact you are making on these precious lives. You are helping change lives.
More detailed information:
The issue of the detrimental effects of former foster youths who age out of care is a comlex one. It must be tackled from multiple angles. Through my experience, research, and communication with experts in the field, I have decided that the way I want to help address this community issue is by increasing the preparedness and support for youths who are aging out and entering into adulthood/college. My idea is to create a program of sorts that exists to create a loving, helpful, and caring community for anyone who has experienced the foster care system. One of the best ways to break the statistical patterns for foster youths is to surround them with constant support and love. So, I have been in contact with multiple people and organizations in my area to help get this started. I have partnered with an organzation based in Colorado called Dream Makers Project. Essentially, they exist to help alleviate and remove barriers that prevent former foster youths from achieving their dreams and goals. They allow former foster youths to submit "dreams" on their website for things they need such as a laptop for college, driver's license, camera for class, etc. The dreams can they be purchased by donors and the money will go directly to the Dream Makers team where they will purchase and deliver the "dreams" to the youth. Bringing this to my community would allow me and those who are a part of my program to work directly with those reciveing the dreams as we deliver the things to the youths. The cycle creates a change in the barriers that would so often limit former foster youths from taking the steps to continue pursuing their dreams and goal. So, I have been in contact with this organization and they are excited to work with me to create something for my area. The plan is to create a program at my school that offers support mentors/buddies from the local community along with access to Dream Makers where any former foster youth can submit their dream. Additionally, I am working to potentially create a closet/pantry where resources, groceries, and other supplies will be available for free for former foster youths. The program will be a community open to connecting former foster youths with not only students at my university, but also committed members of the community that are willing to host these youths for mentoring, fellowship, and/or fun activities. For example, the program will offer resources on campus for former foster youths in case they are in need of anything while partnering them with a local family, couple, or group of people who want to support them. This will look different for every individual, but could entail things like: monthly home-cooked meals, family game nights, a place to stay over holidays if the youth has no where to go, or a fun outing on a weekend. There will be events on campus for those who are a part of this organization to promote community, fellowship, love, and support for these kids who are defeating the odds by pursuing their dreams. I will also be advocating in the local community for this program along with Dream Makers in order to encourage the community to donate on behalf of the youth's dreams that are from their same community. This way, the whole community is coming together to help prevent the negative effects of aging out to come true. Instead, we are going to fight and stand alongside our brother and sisters to help them pursue their dreams both physically, socially, and mentally through the established program along with Dream Makers. I am going to start locally in Fort Myers, FL, but I plan to expand this project of mine to reach foster youths all over. Of course, there are going to be some bumps along the road, but this isn't just something that I am going to give up on because it gets hard. This is a forever kind of thing and I will go to ends of the universe to help these kids graduate college and pursue their dreams for the future.
