Nourishing Neighbors Gift Card Program: A Heartfelt Message from David and Margaret Youth and Family Services

Here's a beautiful message received from one of our grant recipients, David and Margaret Youth and Family Services. We are truly grateful for your tireless efforts in nourishing our community.

Young adults aging out of the foster care system face an uphill battle when transitioning to independent adulthood. With over 4,000 youth aging out each year, the demand for supportive, transitional services is greater than ever.

COMPASS (Creating Opportunities and Making Personal Advancements to Self-Sufficiency) was created to help lessen the burden facing Transitional Age Youth in housing, education, employment, and basic living necessities. 1 out of every 6 former foster youth report going hungry in the past year due to the inability to afford food. While state assistance like SNAP is available to most, it can be a challenge to make that money stretch, especially with the rising cost of food.

One young adult at COMPASS Programs, Melissa, found herself struggling to keep food in her pantry after losing her job due to COVID and recovering from the disease herself. Thanks to the generosity of our supporters, her transitional social worker was able to use a grocery store gift card to pick up some staple items to help Melissa get back on her feet. Once recovered, Melissa was able to obtain employment with the help of the COMPASS Training Program and is thriving at her new job! Melissa's story is just one example of how something as simple as a grocery store gift card can make all the difference to someone in need. We thank you for your generosity!