2024 Local Heroes Celebrates $2.5 Million in Pasadena Community Foundation Grant Awards

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The greater Pasadena community joined Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) for an uplifting celebration on Thursday, November 14 — the 25th […]

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Foster care training program helps Oakland woman find her independence

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Ericka Ramirez Mendoza always dreamed about helping those in need. For her, being able to work as a full-time pharmacy […]

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How a former foster youth in LA County is taking advantage of a 2nd opportunity

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PASADENA, Calif. — After going through many hardships, Sky Celine is still persevering and trying to accomplish her dreams.

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Pasadena Star-News: Groundbreaking housing project for foster youth unveiled in East Pasadena

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Six young people transitioning out of foster care now have a place to call their own, thanks to a groundbreaking housing project unveiled at a ribbon cutting ceremony in East Pasadena on Wednesday, Aug. 7.

The initiative is the result of an unprecedented partnership between educational, nonprofit and governmental leaders in the region to tackle student homelessness, a growing problem in Los Angeles County, project leaders said.

It has successfully transformed two properties at 2322 E. Foothill Blvd. into six studio apartments for young adults aged 18-21.

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EdSource: Pasadena City College opens housing for transitional-age foster youth

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Pasadena City College will provide students who are transitioning out of foster care with studio housing units, LAist reported.

First Place for Youth CEO Thomas Lee told LAist that it can be difficult for foster youth to graduate due to insufficient housing, transportation and economic resources.

Among transitional youth, less than 10% of those who attended college completed a degree, a report found.

“As we call it in the world of child welfare, they always have the ‘cliff’ staring at them when all the services and supports kind of fall away, and they have to be able to do it on their own,” Lee told LAist.

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LAist: Pasadena City College opens first housing unit for foster youth

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Pasadena City College is opening its first housing unit near its campus for transitional-age foster youth.

The six studio units will be for PCC students who are aging out of foster care in an effort to support students toward graduation, said Thomas Lee, CEO of First Place for Youth, a youth services agency that’s partnering with the college.

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Advancing Equitable AI in the US Social Sector

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One example of an organization using AI to support evidence-based decision-making is First Place for Youth, an organization that helps foster youth make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. First Place for Youth built a recommendation engine that uses precision analytics—a technology that predicts trends and behavioral patterns by discovering cause-and-effect relationships in data—to analyze program administration and case assessment data, and learn from differences in outcomes among youth.

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Share the Spirit: After years in the foster system, a young woman gets a room of her own

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With First Place for Youth in her corner, Jayla Lackaff is studying video game design at College of Alameda

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CBS News: Sacramento man goes from foster care to finding calling as a pharmacy tech

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SACRAMENTO — From foster care to pharmacy tech, a young man didn’t just overcome a challenging childhood – he wants to make sure others can do the same.

Macario Harris is only 24 years old, but he’s already found his calling.

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Training transition-age youth to prepare tax forms helps them access tax incentives and builds financial literacy

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Former foster youth especially could be at risk of missing out on a tax credit, said Jane Schroeder, Chief Policy […]

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A new guaranteed income program will support former foster youth in Alameda County

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First Place superstars Xochtil Larios, age 22, and First Place Board Member (and MFP alum) Darryl McDavid, age 30, helped […]

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State and federal restrictions make it harder for low-income families to get infant formula

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First Place for Youth’s Los Angeles Youth Advocate, Stephanie Del Toro, was asked to comment on the recent baby formula […]

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KTVU Giving Day Interview with First Place for Youth

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 KTVU’s Heather Holmes spoke with CEO Thomas Lee about First Place for Youth. Watch the full interview on KTVU

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First Place for Youth seeds success for foster transition

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After spending nine years living in multiple foster homes, Alex Bates has finally found stability in his own apartment in […]

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How area organizations help young adults transition out of the foster care system

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Some children will become adults while in state custody through the foster care system. The outcomes can be troubling, with […]

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