Over the last few months, Foster Your Future (FYF) has received a few notes of thanks from fostered young adults who have struggled with homelessness.

According to FYF Co-Founder, Gunny Paulsen, Sharon and Aaliyah are both students who were in foster care at young ages. Both have benefited from the help and mentorship from FYF and wanted to share their gratitude with the community.

According to Paulsen, Sharon was in and out of the foster care system and spent time couch surfing to avoid homelessness.

“Thank you Foster Your Future for investing in my future. With your help, I was able to successfully complete my sales development certification,” Sharon said. “During a time of hardship I am happy that I received a community of support that truly wanted to see me succeed. I appreciate your generosity and contribution for foster children that have had a rocky start. Thank you for all you do.”

Aaliyah was put in foster care at the age of six, Paulsen said. She was homeless on and off after leaving the foster care system. With the help of FYF, Aaliyah learned how to drive, is preparing for law school and more.

“For millions of young adults, turning of age and going out into the world is a rite of passage. However, for many others, what is a rite of passage for some is a nightmare for others,” Aaliyah said. “Many foster youth like myself are shoved out into the world with almost little to no support or skills, and are forced to learn to survive. Some of us make it and learn to adapt, and some of us don’t.

“When you donate to Foster Your Future, you are directly impacting our lives. Your donations have allowed for me and many others like to do things like get our driver’s licenses and purchase LSAT prep training and supplement housing costs. My goal is to become a lawyer. A goal like that would normally be unattainable for someone like me in my circumstance. I am a student at Arizona State University majoring in Political Science and minoring in Criminology and Political History and Leadership. While attending school full time, I also work two jobs to get by.

“It is not easy by any means, but your continued donation helps take a lot of stress off of my plate so I can keep pushing towards my goal. I want to thank everyone who has and is continuing to donate. And for those who haven’t donated or are considering donating, I want to thank you too. Every bit of assistance whether that be financial or even just prayer or well wishes helps!”

For more information about Foster Your Future, call Ginny Paulsen at 602-478-5850, send an email to Ginny@FosterYourFuture.org or visit FosterYourFuture.org.