Home » Santa Clarita News » Community News » Adam’s Story: Fostering Youth Independence’s Houses 56 Local Youth
Adam in his new home. Photo courtesy of FYI.

Adam’s Story: Fostering Youth Independence’s Houses 56 Local Youth

A total of 56 vulnerable foster youth have found housing with the help of Fostering Youth Independence (FYI) since the local non-profit was founded in 2017. 

The largest foster support organization in Santa Clarita, FYI has supported these dozens of young adults who have aged out of the L.A. County foster system without being adopted or reunited with their birth families, with one of their most critical needs.

“Foster youth need the safety and security of a home in order to take the next steps toward

developing the skills they need to become independent adults,” said Carolyn Olsen, FYI’s executive director and co-founder. “Without the stability of a place to live, these youth are at risk of not being able to break the cycle of hopelessness and reach their potential.”

Olsen went on to explain that finding housing is just one of the ways FYI equips local foster

youth for success in school and life. “We also provide many vital resources to help these youth including a dedicated community of support, emergency financial assistance, academic support and tutoring, and the guidance and encouragement they need to complete a college education or vocational training.”

Read Adam’s Story: 

On his daily neighborhood walk, Santa Clarita resident Craig often noticed a man sleeping in the park in the middle of the day. He began purchasing food for the man, asking the coffee shop staff to give it to him without revealing its source. One day, the man saw Craig purchasing the food and approached him to thank him.

Craig realized that the man, Adam, was young. After that, Craig would talk to Adam whenever he saw him and slowly learned his story.

Craig learned that Adam was a 23-year-old former foster youth who was attending a California State University when his money ran out. He was evicted from the dorm and went to live with an aunt in Santa Clarita. When his aunt decided she no longer wanted a houseguest, Adam moved into an apartment with a roommate, but he couldn’t afford the rent. Forced to leave once again, Adam found himself homeless.

Although he had a full-time job working at a gas station convenience store, he couldn’t afford housing. He would work at night and then sleep at the park or the coffee shop during the day.

Craig contacted one of the pastors at his church to find out if he knew of any resources for Adam. The pastor told Craig about FYI and gave him the number of FYI’s program director, Gina. 

As soon as Gina got the call from Craig, she tried to reach Adam at the number he provided, but there was no response. Her attempts to connect with him were unsuccessful until one day, Craig called Gina while he was at the coffee shop with Adam. Gina raced over to meet them. She learned that Adam’s cell service had been disconnected, and he could only be reached when he was near free WiFi. 

Gina told Adam that, when he was ready, FYI would send a ride for him so he could come to the office for an intake. Arrangements were made, and Adam came to the office and joined the FYI community. FYI immediately paid for his cell service to be reinstated so they could maintain contact with him.

During the intake meeting, Adam shared that his biggest challenge was constant hopelessness. FYI’s intake form asks youth what kind of life they would like to attain. Adam answered, “My ideal life would be the exact opposite of the one I am currently living.”

FYI reached out to the local homeless shelter, Bridge to Home, and arranged for Adam to stay there until a more permanent solution could be found. When asked why Adam had not utilized the shelter before, he explained that without a working phone, he couldn’t find the resources he needed. 

Adam started coming to the FYI office regularly, where they helped him get all the resources he needed, including MediCal, a bus pass, a bike and college financial aid. FYI helped him obtain his birth certificate and his college transcripts, which showed he had already completed 45 units toward a bachelor’s degree. He enrolled at College of the Canyons and plugged right into the FYI community, regularly attending The Study Place, coming to the “Elfmas” holiday party, and participating in Money Matters classes.

Meanwhile, Craig completed Ally training and officially became Adam’s Ally, guiding and encouraging him and researching potential resources for Adam.

Last month, Adam moved into his permanent home. He is now renting a room at one of the two houses owned by a generous local couple who rents their homes exclusively to FYI youth at a rate they can afford. Adam is not homeless anymore.

Note: Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals.


Sponsored Articles


Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to news@hometownstation.com. Don’t miss a thing. Get breaking KHTS Santa Clarita News Alerts delivered right to your inbox. Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

KHTS AM 1220 & FM 98.1 - Santa Clarita Radio - Santa Clarita News

Adam’s Story: Fostering Youth Independence’s Houses 56 Local Youth

One comment

  1. Where’s the like button. I want to hit the like button.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Carl Goldman

Carl Goldman, along with his wife, Jeri repurchased KHTS AM-1220, Santa Clarita’s hometown station on October 24, 2003. They owned it from 1990-1998, and then sold it to Clear Channel Communication in 1998, buying it back from Clear Channel in 2003. Since then, they have rebuilt KHTS as a critical voice of the Valley. In 2015 the radio station moved to its new headquarters on Main Street in Old Town Newhall, in the original Newhall Hardware building. In 2018 an FM was added, 98.1, with its signal being simulcast with AM-1220. In January 2020, Carl and Jeri cruised on the Diamond Princess. Carl was one of the first Americans to come down with Covid-19. Months earlier he was impacted by Guillain Barre Syndrome as a result of a Shingles vaccine in September 2019. He is still in recovery from the vaccine.