Vista CA— Just in Time for Foster Youth (JIT) and North County Lifeline (Lifeline) will open their new drop-in center in North County, Monday, March 11, 2019, at 302 N. Indiana Ave in Vista, CA. Just in Time for Foster Youth is a local nonprofit organization that engages a caring community to help transition age foster youth achieve self-sufficiency and well-being. North County Lifeline is a nonprofit social services agency, with its LifeSpring program devoted to helping former foster youth make the transition to independent, adult living with a caring, clinically-based support system. The new drop-in center is part of an innovative partnership between the two organizations to create a warm and welcoming environment that will increase access to services and resources for North County transition age foster youth, homeless and/or at-risk youth and young adults.
In a unique and complementary partnership, this drop-in center is designed to help overcome the geographic and transportation challenges for youth in North County seeking JIT services, and will allow JIT to increase its reach to an estimated 100 young people. LifeSpring at North County Lifeline will utilize the drop-in center for its current clients, and plans are already underway to expand its services beyond former foster youth to offer services to homeless and at-risk transition age youth in the future. All young adults at the drop-in center will have access to case management, crisis intervention, basic needs, housing navigation, referrals to other supportive services as well as food, internet access, recreational space and a welcoming home-like environment.
“Just in Time is very excited about this game-changing collaboration,” says JIT Executive Director, Don Wells. “It’s only possible because of the willingness of Executive Director, Don Stump, and his team at North County Lifeline to partner with us in support of shared goals and values that create better outcomes and greater impact for the young people we both serve.”
The two Dons not only share a name but also a common philosophy, which made this collaboration a perfect fit for both organizations.
“We were already talking about establishing a drop-in center when JIT approached us,” recalls Lifeline Executive Director, Don Stump. “For us, it’s about more than former foster youth… it is a safe place for youth and young adults who are seeking services and support, who might be runaways, homeless or at risk of homelessness for reasons beyond, and including being former foster youth.”
Through this project, JIT will also have the opportunity to collaborate more effectively with North County organizations that serve the same population and raise awareness of foster care issues in the community. North County Lifeline is happy to see its former “Little House,” which once offered housing for transition age youth in their LifeSpring program, be transformed into a drop-in center that will have a positive impact on many more young people in need of JIT and Lifeline’s services.
Resources for both JIT and Lifeline at the new drop-in center will begin during the week of March 11, 2019. Several joint open houses are scheduled in late March and early April for participants, volunteers, stakeholders, fundraisers and community members to learn more about the new center.
To learn more about Just in Time for Foster Youth, please visit www.jitfosteryouth.org or call (619) 770-1850. For more information about North County Lifeline and its services, please visit www.nclifeline.org or call (760) 726-4900.