Blog Archives

The Benefits of mentorship

3/23/2020

“The consistent, enduring presence of a caring adult in a young person’s life can be the difference between staying in school or dropping out, making healthy decisions or engaging in risky behaviors, and realizing one’s potential or failing to achieve one’s dreams.” (Bruce & Bridgeland, 2014)

The absence of parental guidance and emotional support hinders the ability for any youth to flourish in the world––this is especially true for those growing up in foster care. Statistics show that only about 50% of those who age out of care will obtain a high school diploma, and 97% of children in foster care will not graduate from college, despite the fact that as wards of the state, they receive a full-ride to any state school of their choice.

Youth who are out of the foster care system are often expected to be as self-sufficient as their peers not in foster care, who still have parental support and guidance. This lack of support and resources combined with the multiple traumas these youth have experienced, affects their success and well being in life upon aging out. As a result of having to overcome a childhood of abuse and neglect, removal from their caregivers, unstable living arrangements as well as multiple homes, and weak support systems, youth who age out of care are expected to enter young adulthood with no solid foundation upon which they can build their futures.

The heart of our Dare to Dream program is to walk alongside youth as they navigate through life's challenges. The youth in our program need the wisdom, advice, encouragement, and community that mentors can provide. Mentors meet practical and emotional needs as well as provide guidance through developmental milestones. The goal is for youth to be engaged and to feel supported and equipped to navigate life. Mentoring is much more than a push in the right direction, or a voice to listen to – it is a trusted relationship, support system, and guidance leading towards a path of personal growth and positive youth development. The outcomes in a young adult's life are molded by individuals who believe in their dreams and aspirations––and an encouraging and supportive mentor can help ensure that youth achieve these goals.

We tell mentors that the simple act of telling their youth, “I believe in you.”, “You are special.”, “You are going to do great things.”, can change their path completely.

“Virtually every aspect of human development is fundamentally shaped by interpersonal relationships. So it stands to reason that when close and caring relationships are placed at the center of a youth intervention, as is the case in mentoring programs, the conditions for healthy development are ripe.” – Dr. Jean Rhodes, Director, MENTOR/The University of Massachusetts Boston Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring

The milestones within the Dare to Dream program are intended to encourage and guide youth towards a bright, strong future. Milestones such as building healthy relationships, post-graduate planning, creating healthy habits, and obtaining a driver's license are some of the mentoring priorities our program offers, which allow youth in the foster care system to thrive and succeed.

To learn more about the experience of youth in foster care, watch Tyler’s video below.

Sources:
Bruce, M., & Bridgeland, J. (2014). The Mentoring Effect: Young People’s Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring. Civic Enterprises in association with Hart Research Associates.
Unrau, Y. A., Font, S. A., & Rawls, G. (2012). Readiness for college engagement among students who have aged out of foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 76-83. doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2011.09.002
Courtney, E. M., Dworsky, A., Brown, A., Cary, C., Love, K., & Vorhies, V. (2011). Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth: Outcomes at age 26. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

Comments

THE BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING

3/18/2020

Comments

Investing time in your community may be more valuable than you think. Volunteering your time to help with even the smallest of tasks can be extremely helpful and rewarding to the organization you are contributing to. Volunteers are much more than a helpful hand; they are a vital piece of an organization, and ultimately, play a great role in achieving goals and supporting the mission of an organization.

“Unpaid volunteers are often the glue that holds a community together.”

The perks of volunteering go both ways - it can impact YOU as much as the cause you are supporting. Volunteering builds empathy and self-esteem, encourages connection with others, and increases levels of happiness.

Often when we think of volunteering, we think about it in terms of the impact it will have on others; however, volunteering typically has just as much, if not more, impact on the volunteer as it does the recipient. In an age where rates of depression and loneliness are at an all-time high, one way to alleviate these could be as simple as giving your time and energy to others. When we take the focus off ourselves and our problems, and focus on others, it often allows us to get a better perspective and have a more positive outlook overall.

“Research has found that participation in voluntary services is significantly predictive of better mental and physical health, life satisfaction, self-esteem, happiness, lower depressive symptoms, psychological distress, and morality and functional inability" (Yeung, zhang, & Kim, 2017).

Volunteering can be profoundly fulfilling and can positively impact your physical and psychological well-being. Researchers have found that helping others effectively helps accrue genuine supportive relationships and social integration, self-worth, a sense of mattering and life meaning, and therefore, better contributes to health benefits. Putting your time and effort into helping others can lead to a sense of accomplishment and belonging that is not only beneficial to yourself, but to the community and the organization you serve.

Even in today's world of social distancing, there are still so many ways to volunteer your time and resources:
⁠

When you are out shopping, pick up a few extra items for your neighbor or a family that is unable to get out.⁠
Send electronic gift cards to a local organization, so they can distribute them to the people they serve.⁠
Make a donation to a cause you love - most nonprofits will have cancelled events and less funds coming in, and your donation is crucial and appreciated now more than ever. ⁠
Check in regularly with your circles - send an encouraging text message to remind them you are there for them, and see if there is anything they need.⁠ Your encouragement and support during this time could mean the world to someone who needed just that.

Hear about Stacie’s experience volunteering in our Love Box program below:

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504679/.
https://www.wcsu.edu/community-engagement/benefits-of-volunteering/
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-living/volunteering-and-its-surprising-benefits.htm.

Comments

Youth Cooking Class

3/12/2020

Comments

Our Dare to Dream Program matches youth in foster care with trustworthy, supportive mentors who meet practical and emotional needs, provide guidance through developmental milestones, and encourage the learning of important life skills. Our mentors work with their youth on things like applying to their first jobs, budgeting their money wisely, and create healthy habits. The goal is for our youth to feel supported and equipped to navigate life as they age out of the foster care system and transition into adulthood.

One of the things that many of our mentors work with their youth on is how to cook and work their way around a kitchen. So Daniela, one of Austin Angels' case managers, cooked up (see what we did there?) something special for our Dare to Dream pairs to do together!

"I have a background in nutrition, I LOVE to cook and I really believe that knowing how to cook some simple meals is super empowering to anybody. This is especially important to the population we serve because they might age out of care, move on their own and become responsible for cooking their own meals, often times without sufficient resources. Offering cooking classes would be an opportunity for youth to learn basic skills and spend quality time with their mentor."

Daniela reached out to schools and chefs in the local Austin community. Mr. Byron Chung from the Art Institute of Austin loved the idea of a cooking class for youth in foster care, and wanted to get involved. Chefs Corey and Bradley, and one of their students, Ms. Brittany Green, planned the class and reached out to their suppliers for donations.

Chef Corey and Brittany taught the group how to use a knife properly while cutting a whole rotisserie chicken, and then how to make various dishes using that meat, such as chicken salad, chicken soup, and chicken quesadillas. They learned how to julienne carrots, and were introduced to ingredients like fresh ginger, bone broth, and tofu. The chefs explained that adding certain ingredients to common favorites like ramen and mac and cheese, can actually make them healthier (and tastier!) The mentors and youth really enjoyed learning new skills, trying new food and had a great time together.

One of our mentors who attended the class said,

"I was able to take my two mentees (who are sisters) to the Austin Angels cooking class at The Art Institute of Austin. It was a wonderful opportunity to engage my two girls in an environment honestly all three of us had never been exposed to! I'm not the best cook, but I am really passionate about healthy eating and how that is so influential to mental, emotional, and physical health. Teaching the girls how to grocery shop and order healthy meals is one thing, but being in a kitchen learning from an expert (Chef Corey Smith) was incredible!

they were introduced to new foods in a safe and innovative way that allowed them to be creative & free.

The girls had a blast in their aprons and getting to learn over 5 healthy simple recipes and eat them afterwards. I really enjoyed my time with them in the kitchen and know it will be a positive memory for the girls to hold onto."

We want to thank all of our amazing partners who made this day possible for our youth:

Click the video below to watch a recap video of the day!

Comments

Foster Parent Council

3/11/2020

Comments

We are so excited to introduce our new Foster Parent Council!

We rallied together an incredible group of current and alumni foster parents, who have all participated in either our Love Box and Dare to Dream programs. This new council exists to give feedback, strategize about program improvements, and help us learn how we can better serve children, youth, and families. We held our first meeting last week, and the council will meet a few times over the course of each year.

At Austin Angels, we believe that foster parents and caregivers are some of the most undervalued, misrepresented, and under-supported population within the child welfare system. They are the unsung heroes and front-line fighters caring for our vulnerable children and youth.

Our programs exist to love and support the children in their homes. So what better way to ensure maximum impact than to give those on the receiving end of our services a chance to directly provide us with feedback, strategize about improvements, and share ideas of how to better serve children and families like theirs.

Click here to meet the council and learn more our wonderful moms and dads who have personally experienced foster care and are now helping to support other caregivers. We're so thrilled to collaborate with them and truly maximize our collective impact on this community.

And a special thanks again to our amazing partners at Capital One Café Domain Northside, who hosted this past meeting and provided workspace, coffee, water bottles, note pads, pens, and lunch for all of the attendees!

Comments

Impact Story | Nikki

3/10/2020

Comments

Nikki began her fostering journey through a kinship placement, when her two grandsons (now 4 and 9) were unexpectedly placed in her care. She first learned about Austin Angels from her case worker. She was admittedly a little skeptical about the Love Box Program, unsure of who she would meet and how they would be able to help.

But once Nikki was matched with her Love Box Leader, Jodie, she and her boyfriend became a huge support system for the family and ultimately played such a positive role in their lives.

Jodie and her boyfriend helped the family with bed makeovers, paid for extracurricular activities and spent lots of quality time with the kids - they played games together, went mini-golfing and visited the Trail of Lights. And while the boys were out having fun, Nikki was able to enjoy some much-needed rest!

When asked about her experience in the Love Box Program, Nikki replied, “I’m just waiting to stop smiling so I can tell you about them! It’s just lovely that somebody else can help me with the kids just for a little bit. Talk and entertain the kids. The older one is in martial arts, and she [Jodie] came to his graduation, and came to his birthday party the other day."

Nikki always knew she wanted her grandkids to remain a part of her family, and after a few years of fostering, she was officially able to adopt them! Jodie and her boyfriend were right there supporting Nikki throughout the adoption process.