Scottsdale

Paradise Valley

Shoeleather Journalism in the Digital Age

Shoeleather Journalism
in the Digital Age

Foster360 provided $125K grant from Mercy C.A.R.E.S. reinvestment program

photo of foster360
From left are Trisha Stuart, Mercy Care director of community relations; Elena Reid, Foster360 co-director; Sommer Knight, Foster360 co-director; Colleen Fisher, Mercy Care community reinvestment manager; and Karrie Steving, Mercy Care Children’s System of Care and Department of Child Safety administrator. (Photo courtesy of Mercy Care/DigitalFreePress)

Foster360 seeks to provide safe housing for local youth in need

Staff Reports | Digital Free Press

Research shows that 900 children age out of foster care in Arizona each year, and an estimated 50% become homeless within two years.

In an effort to combat this cycle of trauma, poverty, and housing insecurity, Foster360 has been awarded a 2023 Mercy C.A.R.E.S. Community Reinvestment Grant in the amount of $125,000, according to a press release.

Foster360 works to break the cycle of homelessness and adversity for youth aging out of foster care by providing holistic wraparound services and safe housing in a compassionate environment, the release states.

The grant will fund the organization’s initial campus in Phoenix, which opened in 2019, as well as its newly opened campus in Tempe.

The Phoenix campus supports young adults 18 and older who have aged out of the foster care system, providing a safe home environment.

The organization also provides holistic trauma-informed care, life skills development, community partnerships and workshops through Barrow Neurological Institute, Midwestern University, Junior Achievement of Arizona and HonorHealth.

“We also provide oft-overlooked services for individuals who have been through their level of trauma including traumatic brain injury intervention and support, nervous system calming, and introductory work as it relates to the re-wiring of neuropathways,” said Sommer Knight, co-executive director of Foster360 as well as a veteran trauma and resiliency life coach.

The Tempe campus, which opened in November, serves as a second step in the program for these young adults.

“This step allows our youth more empowerment and independence,” said Elena Reid, co-director of Foster360. “The new facility allows us to focus on our clients’ long-term plans through trauma-informed financial literacy, savings plans, education and real-world practice as it relates to recognizing and maintaining healthy relationships, maintaining employment, identified career paths and schooling, and ultimately being one step closer to never being homeless again.”

The Tempe campus features single units, so its resident youth take on the responsibility for their own space, and the goal is to serve as the steppingstone that so many young people need to successfully transition toward the next stage in their lives.

“Mercy Care is a trusted partner with a legacy of helping Arizonans achieve better health since 1985. Mercy C.A.R.E.S., which stands for Community Action Resources Education and Service, is Mercy Care’s community giving initiative, and amplifies our work to support the whole-health needs of Arizonans, deliver quality outcomes, promote health equity, and prevent abuse, neglect, and exploitation,” said Karrie Steving, Children’s System of Care and Department of Child Safety administrator at Mercy Care.

“Through this partnership with Foster 360, we’re able to remove barriers to housing for youth who are aging out of foster care and offer the additional support needed to help them live a healthier life and achieve their full potential.”

Category Sponsor

Learn About the Author

Published On:

Category Sponsor

SUSD

Newsletter Sign Up

Scottsdale Daily Beat - Logo

Could we interest you in Community Updates? How about Enterprise Business Reporting & Real Property & Homes?

Arts Square
Experience Scottsdale September 2024 1
Western Museum image
Cover_Spring-2024-SUSD-Showcase-magazine
Experience Scottsdale September 2024