The mission and vision of Jack and Jill of America Foundation is to provide financial support to organizations that promote leadership development for children, youth and young adults.
The Foundation in collaboration with the community service agenda of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. is an internationally recognized center that furnishes personal, professional and financial support to children in the areas of leadership skills, training and development.
The Foundation promotes the excellent preparation of succeeding generations of children as leaders, in all walks of life, so that they may attain their fullest potential as individuals, enjoy rewarding and fulfilling lives, and contribute to world peace, progress, and prosperity.
The Hope Center at Pullen connects young people aging out of foster care in Wake County with the resources and support they need for a successful transition to adulthood.
Why Support Foster Youth?
At any given time, there are about 170 youth between the ages of 13-18 in foster care in Wake County. Most of these young people were removed from their families of origin due to abuse or neglect. At age 18 these young people “age out” of foster care and are expected to be self-sufficient. Few 18-year-olds are ready to live completely independently, and the young people we work with have additional challenges due to childhood trauma.
Youth exiting foster care are far more likely than their peers to experience homelessness, poverty, unemployment, teenage pregnancy, and incarceration. More than 1 in 5 will become homeless after age 18. Only a little over half (58%) will graduate from high school by age 19. One in four will be incarcerated within two years of leaving the system.
Our Program:
The Hope Center at Pullen was founded in 2009 to help those most at risk of homelessness in Wake County. They work with young adults between the ages of 16-24 who have aged out of foster care or are at risk of aging out of foster care without appropriate support. Young people with histories of foster care have had numerous traumatic experiences in their short lives. Often, they had multiple foster home placements and little stability. The Hope Center at Pullen provides that stability. They become the hub of services for them—the one place where they can get the support they need to be self-sufficient.
The staff at the Hope Center at Pullen spends time getting to know each young person, understanding his or her strengths and working alongside him or her to build and carry out a plan for a successful transition to adulthood.
They accomplish this by identifying people and resources in the community and build a support team of paid professionals and volunteers who connect these young people to the resources they need to achieve independence. Specific areas they address include:
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Housing
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Education
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Employment
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Financial Management
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Physical & Mental Health
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Support Network
