Our May Foster Care Hero of the Month is Connie Chung Joe, a social justice and AAPI foster care advocate here in LA County. Connie was the Executive Director of Korean American Family Services for more than a decade, helping provide culturally sensitive homes to AAPI foster children in Los Angeles. Her work helped to …
Our March Foster Care Hero of the Month, Jhamasa Lewis, is a member of the UFC Next Generation Board. She is also an entrepreneur, artist, activist, and the Director of Service Learning at Brentwood School. Jhamasa was dedicated to her educational pursuits growing up and became a first-generation college graduate in 2013. She then spent …
Despite facing many obstacles, Julisa, a dedicated, kind, and passionate young woman in our Scholars program, is on her way to fulfilling her lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. Currently, she is at Riverside City College but will be transferring to CSU Fullerton to complete their RN Program. Earlier in her journey, Julisa had to …
Salena, a Pathways alumna, is such an inspiration! Her ability to self-reflect, to overcome personal challenges, and her determination to reach her goals speaks of her resilience. When Salena first came to Pathways, she had trouble managing her finances and would often not have enough to purchase basic needs items. Salena was able to find a …
We are so proud to announce Alain J Datcher, a UFC alumnus, as this month’s Foster Care Hero. Alain is the new Executive Director for Los Angeles County’s newly formed Youth Commission where he will help ensure that no policy, program, or delivery of services in LA County is developed or executed without being informed …
When Celestina became a Pathways resident, she had just emancipated from foster care and was struggling with severe anxiety and depression. While in Pathways, she began therapy and her mental health improved. She also started a savings account by working part-time and full-time jobs, all while attending school full time. Celestina was a large part of the Pathways …
This past year, one of our Pathways residents, Queysi, showed an inspiring amount of grit and perseverance after suffering a severe car accident that left her with a totaled car and significant back injuries. After quitting her job to undergo months of physical therapy, Queysi’s ability to function and complete everyday tasks slowly returned. Once …
Last month United Friends of the Children headed to Washington, D.C. for NCAN Hill Day, an annual event coordinated by National College Access Network that brings students from across the country to D.C. in an effort to advocate for policy change around college access and affordability for all students.