Community of Friends for Foster Youth

Dark to Dawn’s mission is to defend the cause of the orphans by declaring God's mandate for their care and inspiring believers to take action.

Isaiah 1:17 – “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."

Hebrews 10:24 – “…let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”

Hebrews 13:2 – “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

• A voice for foster youth to help raise awareness of their needs and the best ways for people to help.
• More community involvement in assisting former foster youth who are facing challenges in areas such as housing, transportation, employment, and education. We believe that each former foster youth will benefit by having a team of people to work alongside him or her to find solutions that will help each foster youth move along the path to independence.
• Events each year for foster youth to speak out about their experiences and struggles, as well as about other issues that matter to them. We believe that this will help our community gain a better understanding of how they can make a difference in the lives of independent youth.

You can become a part of the Community of Friends by volunteering your time to help youth on issues relating to housing, transportation, education, employment, or life skills. You can also help by becoming a host home (renting a room), or providing financial assistance for education, housing or transportation needs. Or, you can be a part of the Community of Friends by helping to raise awareness about these needs among your network of friends, business associates, or other groups. Organizations (schools, churches, libraries, etc.) can help by providing meeting rooms for events which help raise community awareness of the needs of foster youth.

Dark to Dawn is a faith-based organization, based in Ventura County. We partner with domestic and international adoption and orphan care agencies, as well as local foster care agencies. Dark to Dawn was formed to inspire Christians from any and every season in life to discover their God-directed path to care for orphans and foster children, and to help Christians connect with existing ministries and agencies. We are committed to developing a broad-based coalition of churches who share a passion for caring for orphans, both locally and around the world. For more information on how to become part of the Community of Friends, go to the Dark to Dawn website at www.DarktoDawn.org or contact John Franklin at John@DarktoDawn.org or 805-433-5171.

Dark to Dawn’s Community of Friends Fund

The Community of Friends Fund is a program of Dark to Dawn, a faith-based organization, based in Ventura County. Dark to Dawn partners with domestic and international adoption and orphan care agencies, as well as local foster care agencies. Dark to Dawn was formed to inspire Christians from any and every season in life to discover their God-directed path to care for orphans and foster children, and to help Christians connect with existing ministries and agencies. We are committed to developing a broad-based coalition of churches who share a passion for caring for orphans, both locally and around the world.

This Fund has been established primarily to provide financial assistance for housing, transportation, or education needs for youth who are 18-25 years old and have aged out of the foster care system. The Fund can also be extended to assist youth who are homeless, runaway, or have no family support. Our approach to ministry is to partner with foster youth leaders, and existing social service agencies to help support their efforts and expand their reach. We want to avoid duplication of effort and find ways to fill gaps in existing programs and resources.

Housing

Our primary focuses in housing are providing assistance funds for temporary housing (2-4 weeks) and for security deposits for apartment or home rentals. Qualified youth will typically be referred to us by agencies that are assisting them in finding long-term, affordable housing.

Transportation

We will provide assistance to help with the purchase of a used car, or repairs on a car, or auto insurance. We provide matching funds of up to $2,500 for the purchase of a used car, or up to $500 for repairs, or the purchase of auto insurance. Qualified youth will typically meet the following requirements:

• You currently have a driver’s license. If you do not have a driver’s license but are working towards getting one, you can still apply and we may adjust the timing of the financial assistance to begin after you have your driver’s license.
• You have a job or other sources of income that will enable you to own and maintain a car (gas, insurance, repairs-servicing).
• You have a team of at least 3 adult friends who can assist you in finding a suitable car for purchase, having it assessed by an auto mechanic, making any needed repairs, and obtaining affordable auto insurance. We can refer you to people in the community who want to help by being on your team, and also refer you to auto mechanics who can help you identify potential repair costs.
• If you do not have funds on hand for this Fund to match, we can help by contacting people or churches who may be willing to contribute to the Community of Friends Fund on your behalf. Your team may also be able to identify people or organizations who will contribute to this Fund on your behalf.

Education

Our primary focus in education is providing laptop computers for youth who are enrolled in a 2-year or 4-year college, or a vocational school. We work in partnership with Paradox Community Technologies, an agency that rehabs computers and provides a 1-year guarantee on the computer you receive. Qualified youth will typically be referred to us by agencies that are assisting them in their educational and career planning.

The Community of Friends Fund partners with local foster care and social service agencies, including:

• Arrow Child & Family Ministries
• AspiraNet
• California Youth Connection
• Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families
• Children & Family Services – Independent Living Program
• Children’s Services Auxiliary
• Kids and Families Together – Alice’s House
• Pacific Clinics - Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Center
• Paradox Community Technologies

From time to time, the Fund may receive and distribute contributions that are designated to one or more of our partner agencies.

For more information or to apply for assistance, please contact John Franklin at John@DarktoDawn.org or 805-433-5171. Our website is at www.DarktoDawn.org and our Facebook page is at www.facebook.com/DarktoDawn.