Valley Youth House - Greater Philadelphia receives inaugural $10,000 award from The Transition Network's Philadelphia Chapter Giving Circle

VYH-GP has been selected to receive a $10,000 grant by the Philadelphia Chapter of The Transition Network's Giving Circle. This award will fund incidental education expenses for current and former foster care youth attending post-secondary programs. End Quote

Philadelphia, PA-NJ (1888PressRelease) July 10, 2013 - Valley Youth House - Greater Philadelphia is pleased to announce its selection to receive a $10,000 grant by the Philadelphia Chapter of The Transition Network's Giving Circle, a donor-advised fund of the Philadelphia Foundation. This award will provide funds to cover incidental education expenses for current and former foster care youth, ages 16-21, who are attending post-secondary programs.

Youth will be eligible for funds if they are accepted to a post-secondary program and have unmet needs after exhausting all other sources of financial aid. The lack of resources to pay for incidental education expenses is a significant barrier to post-secondary enrollment and completion. Of the 75 youth aging out of foster care who are in a Valley Youth House - Greater Philadelphia (VYH-GP) housing program, about half are currently enrolled in post-secondary education programs; these funds will be instrumental in increasing the educational opportunities for these youth.

Says Ceane Rabada of The Transition Network (TTN)'s Giving Circle, "Lots of people to whom I've spoken about foster care kids usually just respond with a hopeless shrug. This is a way of helping a very deserving group." Rabada adds that because of efforts of TTN's Giving Circle, these young adults will have a few of the many obstacles to a better life removed. The anticipated relationship between TTN and VYH-GP will lend itself to a series of volunteer activities of interest to TTN members.

VYH-GP was selected from 24 applicants in one of two focus areas selected by the Giving Circle members, and was cited for its solid organization, committed professional staff and its expectation that TTN members could serve as strong role models for the youth.

VYH-GP assists more than 1,500 homeless and foster youth in Philadelphia annually to achieve independence through life skills training and housing assistance. Without family or community support, the personal and societal outcomes for these youth are grim. VYH-GP offers a full range of services designed to meet the individual needs of youth, including: one-on-one coaching, educational support, career planning, computer literacy, life skills training, and housing.

For more information about Valley Youth House - Greater Philadelphia, please visit www.vyhphila.org; for more information on The Transition Network, please visit www.thetransitionnetwork.org.

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