Aurelio Mitjans, a youth advocate at YMO, helps a youth prepare for a job interview. Much of the grant money received in 2014 will support the YMO workforce development program.
Through the generosity of several prestigious foundations, Hillsides has raised $728,000 in grant awards this year to help put hundreds of transition-aged youth in Los Angeles County on the path to independence.
The foundations that provided support in 2014 were The Angell Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, Bank of the West, California Community Foundation, The Carl and Roberta Deutsch Foundation, Max Factor Family Foundation, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, RGK Foundation, The Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, TJX Foundation, and The TK Foundation.
Hillsides serves hundreds of disadvantaged youth 16-25 years of age through the Youth Moving On (YMO) program. The program provides housing and supportive services to transition age youth, particularly those transitioning from the foster care and juvenile justice systems. YMO operates through two main components: a supportive housing program that serves about 45 youth each year and the Peer Resource Center, a drop-in center in Pasadena where over 500 transition-aged youth seek assistance with housing, health services, employment and more.
The grant awards made it possible for YMO to significantly expand programming and increase the number of youth served. Much of the grant money will support the YMO workforce development program. This popular and effective program provides career counseling, job training classes, assistance with job searches, and paid internships to youth who are eager to work but face daunting obstacles due to difficult childhoods.
Hillsides opened the Peer Resource Center in May, 2013 and provided services to 450 youth in its first 12 months of operation. The demand for assistance was much greater than Hillsides anticipated, and the foundation grants gave Hillsides the resources to serve every youth who knocked at the Peer Resource Center’s door.
Demand for service continues to grow. “The Peer Resource Center tapped into the tremendous needs of transition-aged youth, particularly those who are trying to move from the foster care and probation systems to independence,†said Thomas Lee, division director of transition-aged youth services at Hillsides.
Hillsides, headquartered in Pasadena, has been serving children and families since 1913. The agency provides high quality care, advocacy, and innovative services that promote safe, permanent environments where young people can thrive. Currently, Hillsides serves over 8,500 children and families living in Los Angeles County. To learn more about Hillsides, please visit www.hillsides.org.
