GIVERS
FOSTERING HOPE
Hope Center at Pullen provides support to young people by CATHERINE CURRIN
T
ucked in the basement of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church, the Hope Center is creating a safe space. Founded in 2008 to help combat homelessness in the area, the nonprofit has shifted in the past five years to target children aging out of the foster care system. These young people, the majority Wake County residents, range in age from 13 to 21 and live within a mix of foster homes and group homes. The Hope Center focuses on life skills to prepare them for the transition. “Statistically, six in 10 children in foster care will experience homelessness,”
says Hope Center program coordinator Meredith Yuckman. “Our goal is to gauge what they need. We capitalize on programs that build relationships.” While the average age of children in foster care is six years old, Yuckman says that age 13 is the critical number. “When a child in foster care reaches the age of 13, their chance of positive outcomes significantly decreases.” The Hope Center wants to beat those odds for as many children as possible. The center facilitates a life skills workshop called LINKS once a week for these teens. LINKS is a statewide initiative, with an overarching objective to
prepare foster teens for living on their own. During these meetings, speakers such as police officers and social workers will lecture on different topics like court awareness, STD education, and mental health. “The program is intensive,” says Yuckman. “When people think of foster care, they don't think about what happens when the children age out.” Each youth or ‘client,’ as they’re referred, also receives an academic mentor. These volunteers work with the youth on everything from independent living skills to homework to college visits. “These volunteers walk side by side with
photography by GEOFF WOOD JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 | 53
