Support graduating youth in the foster care system!

​In the United States, there are approximately 500,000 children in the foster care system each year (Administration for Children's and Families, 2006). Out of these 500,000 children, about 20,000 are emancipated (US Department of Education, 2016) each year, facing the challenges of establishing a life and beginning their “journey of adulthood.”  With alarming statistics such as the high school dropout rate being three times higher for foster youth, over 40% having educational difficulties, and less than 3% graduating (Courtney et al., 2004), there is a clear problem/gap that must be addressed.
 
That’s exactly what we are aiming to do through Houston Angels. By supporting foster youth (even before they’re near the “aging out range”), we are equipping young minds to believe in themselves. We are providing them with a large number of resources for every life stage, and ensuring that they believe that they can do anything, they will do anything, and that they matter.
 
While we have several different programs like the Dare to Dream Program, the Love Box Program, and the Angel Ally program that support the foster youth in our area, we also host additional events that provide opportunities for our youth to be celebrated, experience “normalcy”, and to make memories. One of those events is actually happening June 3, 2023, and it’s our End of School Summer Bash! At this event, we not only will be partnering with Swim Shac to offer a fun event for the youth in our programs, but we will also be celebrating four graduating seniors that are served by our organization. Each of these seniors is beating the statistics, and have plans to attend college after graduation to pursue their dreams. Read about each senior below:

• Senior 1, Male: This senior has plans to attend Texas Tech University this fall. He is majoring in architecture and has wishlist items for all things Texas Tech and dorm necessary! Wreck em’ Tech!
• Senior 2, Male: This senior is super passionate about cars. After graduation, he plans to attend trade school to further his education in the subject he’s passionate about! Items on his wish list include school supplies, tool sets, and all things car!
• Senior 3, Male: This senior has plans after high school to study architecture. While he hasn’t officially made his college decision - his wish list has all things dorm and architect “must haves.”
• Senior 4, Male: This senior has plans to attend Texas A&M University this fall. He plans on majoring in Chemical Engineering (whoop!). As a future Texas A&M Aggie, this student has all plans Gig Em/A&M and dorm must haves!

 
Wondering how you can help celebrate these four youth and provide them with resources that are going to be helpful to them for this major life transition? Shop our Amazon Wishlist here.
By shopping our wishlist, you are buying items personally hand picked for each of our seniors and their “needs” for after graduation. All items will be gathered and provided to our seniors in a gift basket at our Summer Bash event. Unable to shop our wishlist but wish to provide a card/note of congratulations instead? Awesome! You can mail all cards to our address (4245 Richmond Avenue #100, Houston TX 77027) and address the envelope to Houston Angels.
 
Thank you for supporting our youth, graduates and all the students who are younger and will one day reach this huge milestone. With each of us coming together, we can make a life changing impact on the foster care community. Until every child is reached.
- Kelsey Karr, Houston Angels Volunteer