Organization: ROOTS & WINGS FOUNDATION
Mission: THROUGH HOUSING (RISE) AND CASE MANAGEMENT (FLY), WE PROVIDE THE SAFETY NET PROTECTING OUR CLIENTS FROM THE RISKS FORMER FOSTER YOUTH FACE WHEN LEFT WITHOUT SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE, GREATLY REDUCING THEIR RISK OF LIFETIME POVERTY, ABUSE AND DESPAIR TAHT RESEARCH SHOWS OFTEN CONTINUES GENERATION AFTER GENERATION ABSENT INTENSIVE OUTSIDE INTERVENTION.
Activities: IN 2019, ROOTS AND WINGS SAFELY HOUSED 28 FORMER FOSTER YOUTH THROUGH THE RISE PROGRAM AND SERVED AN ADDITIONAL 15 YOUNG ADULTS IN THE FLY PROGRAM. EACH CLIENT IN RESIDENCE RECEIVED A MINIMUM OF FOUR HOURS OF CASE MANAGEMENT PER WEEK AND 70% OF CLIENTS ENROLLED IN TRAUMA INFORMED THERAPY. SEVERAL OTHER CLIENTS BEGAN PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT FOR DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY. THIS RESULTED IN OVER 90% OF CLIENTS HAVING STABILIZED THEIR BASELINE MENTAL HEALTH. IN ADDITION, A VOLUNTEER MENTOR WAS ASSIGNED TO EVERY RISE CLIENT. FLY CLIENTS RECEIVED WEEKLY GROUP EDUCATION ON TOPICS SUCH AS FINANCIAL LITERACY, STUDY AND ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS, RESUME WRITING AND INTERVIEWING SKILLS, AS WELL AS MINDFULNESS, GROUNDING, AND MEDITATION SKILLS TO HELP THEM COPE WITH ANXIETY AND STRESS. THESE GROUP SESSIONS WERE COUPLED WITH INDIVIDUAL CASE MANAGEMENT SERVICES. MONTHLY LIFE SKILLS SEMINARS WERE CONDUCTED THROUGHOUT 2019 FOR THE RISE CLIENTS AS WELL. THIS YEAR WE HAVE GREATLY INCREASED THE SCOPE AND BREADTH OF GROUPS THAT WE OFFER TO OUR RISE CLIENTS. ONE OF OUR CASE MANAGERS IS A CERTIFIED BOXER, SO HE OFFERED A MINDFULNESS & BOXING GROUP WHICH THE CLIENTS LOVE. WE'VE ALSO OFFERED FINANCIAL LITERACY, CAR PURCHASING AND NEGOTIATION SKILLS GROUPS, MALE AND FEMALE EMPOWERMENT GROUPS, HOW TO START A SMALL BUSINESS, POETRY WRITING WORKSHOPS, SELF-LOVE WORKSHOPS, ETC.EDUCATION CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR WORK AND OUR RISE CLIENTS ARE EITHER PURSUING FURTHERING THEIR EDUCATION OR ACQUIRING CAREER AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS THROUGH A VARIETY OF SCHOOLS OR TRAINING PROGRAMS. IN 2019, ROOTS AND WINGS CLIENTS WERE ENROLLED IN MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY, THE COUNTY COLLEGE OF MORRIS, UNION COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, UNION COUNTY VO-TECH, KEAN UNIVERSITY, REAL ESTATE LICENSING CLASSES, AS WELL AS ESTHETICIAN CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. OVER THIS YEAR ONE CLIENT GRADUATED FROM THE COMMUNITY COUNTY OF MORRIS AND WENT ON TO PURSUE HIS REAL ESTATE LICENSE AND ONCE THAT WAS COMPLETED, HE OBTAINED A JOB WORKING FOR COLDWELL BANKER'S REAL ESTATE IN FORT LEE, NJ. ANOTHER FLY CLIENT GRADUATED FROM MONTCLAIR STATE UNIVERSITY AND THEN OBTAINED AN INTERNSHIP WITH ABC NEWS LIVE. SHE DID SO WELL THAT AFTER THE INTERNSHIP ENDED, SHE WAS HIRED AS A PRODUCTION ASSISTANT AND THEN AFTER ONLY 8 MONTHS PROMOTED TO AN ASSOCIATE PRODUCER POSITION WITH ABC NEWS LIVE. ANOTHER CLIENT'S GOAL IS TO OBTAIN HIS PH.D. IN PSYCHOLOGY. WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE STAFF HE DECIDED TO APPLY TO TRANSFER TO FAIRLEIGH DICKENSON UNIVERSITY. HE WAS ACCEPTED AND RECEIVED A $28,000 PER YEAR SCHOLARSHIP TO PURSUE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. OVERALL, 2019 WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR FOR ROOTS AND WINGS.
NTEE category: Human Services
Secondary category: Housing & Shelter