JAR is a proud supporter of Foster Pride’s HandMade Program. Only half of the teens in NYC foster care are expected to graduate high school; 68% will end up on food stamps; a shocking 7 out of 10 homeless people in New York were once in foster care. Foster Pride and the John A. Resienbach Foundation help these kids beat the odds. The HandMade program provides the opportunity for teenage women in foster care to develop and launch their own line of crocheted items. The John A. Reisenbach Financial Literacy Workshops help the young women in HandMade develop money management skills they need to prepare them for economic self-sufficiency. These workshops round-out the creative and job-preparedness skills taught in HandMade to help these vulnerable teens in foster care transition to a successful adulthood.
An alumni from the program, Patricia (who now has a job in public relations) recently came back to talk to students about savings plans, what she wished she’d known before they aged out and to talk about how she’s managing her money. It’s powerful for students to hear from a young women who’s been where they are—but despite having been in foster care, are leading successful lives. It’s also persuasive for them to hear about some of the financial obstacles Patricia had to deal with—having to pay for wifi, monthly telephone charges, Con Edison in addition to rent, expenses students weren’t thinking about. Patricia admitted that when she got her first credit card she went overboard. “I used it like it was a bank account. I wasn’t figuring that I’d have to pay interest and that if I didn’t pay the whole amount back each month, which I didn’t, everything I bought was really costing me a lot more,” she admitted. Workshop teacher, Mia, told students about her own struggles with credit card debt, all of which lead to a lively discussion on the pros and cons of credit.
Check out Foster Pride’s Executive Director and Founder, Lynn Schurnberger speaking with Jesse Addy on a recent episode of New York Matters about how Foster Pride has helped over 12,000 children and teens in foster care reach their potential through mentorship and the arts.
Thank you Foster Pride for your partnership in making a better and safer NYC. Donate today to keep NYC safe. #SafeSummer2019 #NYCSafeSummer #JARFoundation #BetterSaferNYC
