BECOME VOLUNTEER
Volunteer as a tutor, mentor, participate in events.
Volunteer
To increase public awareness of the crisis many families and youth in Los Angeles County are currently facing in foster care. We do this through activities including advocacy work as well as at events where attendees can stop by and learn more at our lawn table.
To improve the quality of lives of children and youth in foster care, homeless, incarcerated or under the supervision of probation through the provision of direct services to the children or to the agencies serving them.
To improve the quality of the lives of children and young people in foster care, homeless, incarcerated or under the supervision of probation through system changes.
The ACAC committee, composed of staff from the Pasadena Office of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Foster Care Project representatives, and ACAC teams from other local congregations, decided that "Advocate" more appropriately describes our work.
A huge thank you from our ACAC team—Beth Gertmenian, Rosemary Hyde, Ann Jopling, and Anne Riffenburgh—for making our two summer projects, the SHOPPING SPREE and the BACKPACK PROJECT, resounding successes.
Thanks to the generosity of our donors to the Shopping Spree, we were able to take 20 children shopping at Target for new clothing for school and have gift cards left to help new cases throughout the school year. And thanks to our Backpack Angels (many of whom double as Shopping Spree donors), more than 80 children were able to start school well prepared with new backpacks stuffed with school supplies.
Learning Works Charter School recently celebrated the graduation of its 16th graduating class. At graduation these students earned something no one can ever take away: a high school diploma.
The program at Learning Works targets students who did not succeed in a traditional school setting. Based on the belief that all students deserve and can earn a high school diploma, the school provides a fresh start to middle and high school students who have dropped out of school, are credit deficient, or are struggling with discipline challenges at school or in the community. Learning Works takes students where they are, provides unconditional love, and guides them, with no excuses, to graduate
FCP is a proud supporter of Learning Works and has provided volunteer tutors and mentors to assist students in reaching their goals. When school resumes in August, Learning Works will again welcome volunteers to support staff and students. If you have experience as a teacher or an interest in mentoring a youth, please consider being a part of this program.
Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs) provide advocacy for foster youth in a multitude of areas including health, education, homeless prevention, transitioning to independence, right to be heard, and right to family connection. CASA of Los Angeles pairs volunteer CASAs one-on-one with foster youth aged 0-21, ensuring each child has advocacy and support that meets their individual need
If you are compassionate, committed, and eager to make a positive impact, you are encouraged to apply to become a CASA. Training will be provided, and you will be part of a supportive network of advocates. Contact the Foster Care Project at inbox@fostercareproject.org for more information or to be added to the interest list for the fall CASA information session at All Saints Church and on Zoom.
My Friend's Place is a drop-in center in Hollywood offering essential support and a variety of resources to the more than 4,000 children and youth experiencing homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles. My Friend's Place is here to help.
We are planning on providing a very special English Tea for homeless youth at My Friend's Place on Monday, September 9. The Tea will feature traditional English treats--that are delicious--accompanied by a cup of tea. This is a really important way of providing some much-needed support to the many children and young people living on the streets in Los Angeles. We will prepare the food beforehand on the afternoon of Sunday, September 8th and take it to My Friend's Place on the 9th. The youth will be served from 11.30 am until all the food is gone. We hope to feed about 70 youth. The youth are very appreciative. We find this very rewarding, a lot of fun and so worthwhile.