employed, women survivors of domestic violence in order to help them transform their lives. This proposal was accepted by a major charity, and the domestic violence program,“Of Home and Family”, was born.
During that time, Rob and I began mentoring a 17 year old young man from a residential treatment facility, who had applied to college. We became acutely aware of the incredible roadblocks he faced as he was embarking on the college experience and the roadblocks that continued to appear as he worked his way through college. The foster care system automatically kicked students out of care as soon as they turn 21. How does a college student with nowhere to turn (no foster home and no support) manage to continue college in such a situation?
As we dealt with the challenges of forming a relationship with a young man from the foster care system in terms of trust issues, life skill issues, dealing with the institution where he was living, and as we began to witness his growth, we thought about helping other young people in his situation.
In 2004, we parted ways with the major charity that had supported “Of Home and Family”. With the help of energetic, generous friends who volunteered to serve as Board Directors and Officers, we formed our own non-profit, “Of Home, Family and Future”, and, in addition to the Domestic Violence Initiative, developed an Educational Mentoring Program focusing on a small number of foster care students who have been
accepted to college.
In July 2008, we decided to focus on the charity full-time. Our goal is to provide comprehensive support to these individuals. We hope to help them develop the tools they need to become successful members of society so that they can lead happy, productive lives and maybe even mentor other individuals who have suffered from similar experiences.
We’re a small charity, and we do most of the work ourselves so that 100% of your donations can go straight to these individuals. We’re dedicating the rest of our lives to changing the world, one person at a time.
