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Hungry youth don't study well.

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Help feed a college student today! 

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Donate money or goods for a student . . . 

#blessingbox

WHAT WE DO

RUBY'S FOSTER VILLAGE (RFV) provides support through mentoring and tutoring to empower foster youth who are in high School as well as youth who are attending community colleges. We also work with former foster youth who are homeless to remove the challenges and barriers that compound risk factors and prevent them from completing high school and earning a college degree. Our goal is to provide a safety net of services that will help these at-risk youth achieve success as liberated, happy, and healthy adults who are able to contribute to their communities in a positive and empowering way.

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FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

We seek to help foster teens succeed by providing programs designed to help them to accomplish high school graduation and to prepare for college with the ultimate goal of reducing the dropout rate and increasing the graduation rate:

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MENTORING:

  • truancy issue resolution and support

  • class retention and completion strategies

  • avoiding repeating classes;

  • enrollment in college programs available for high school students; and

  • referrals to GED and vocational training programs.

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TUTORING:

  • reading at grade level; and

  • tutoring in across a variety of subject areas.

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COLLEGE PREP:

  • choosing the right college;

  • college campus visits;

  • filling out financial aid forms; and

  • finding and applying for college scholarships and other assistance, such as the John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood and others.

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FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

We seek to alleviate the challenges and compounded risk factors that create barriers to entry for emancipated foster youth that wish to enter and graduate from college or are already enrolled in colleges. â€‹For college students living on or off campus, we provide:

  • Mentoring;

  • Tutoring to help them maintain a higher GPA;

  • Care Packages of food, person products, and clothing #blessingbox;

  • Housing Scholarships to prevent homelessness during college breaks and to provide continued food access;

  • Free Textbooks and School Supplies;

  • Transportation;

  • Referral Services:

    • child care referrals, since many of our youth are single parents

    • health and wellness referrals

  • ​An Onsite Coach or RFV Liaison to assist with:

    • financial aid and scholarship applications;

    • answers to questions in a safe environment where they can express their feelings and ease their fears;

    • navigating, accessing, and utilizing services that are available; and

    • a sympathetic, compassionate and knowledgeable "ear" that assures students that we are there to help, and that they are not alone.

Our COMMUNITY PARTNERS

 

We provide a range of services through strategic partnerships with government and community organizations. RFV works with the National Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), the New Jersey Department of Children Protection, Criminal Justice System, and Permanency (DCP&P), the Criminal Justice Systemchurches, colleges, high schools, clubs, social groups, local and regional agencies, and others to coordinate and provide services.

    

Through these strategic partners, we effectively reach and serve foster care high school students, recent graduates, and homeless foster and emancipated youth who are overwhelmed by the challenges of everyday life as they enter adulthood. We take a holistic approach to providing services by identifying what these youth need and not only providing direct services, but connecting them with outside agencies that can support them as they strive to become independent adults.

     

We are always seeking new partners to help us reach more youth in need. If your organization is interested in partnering with us, please contact Novelette Bowen at 609-933-0720 or

nbowen@rubysfostervillage.org.

​PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Our professional development presentations and seminars seek to help professionals better understand the needs and challenges of former foster care youth:

  • Informational Presentations (1-2 hours) that educate adults as to the unique challenges and obstacles facing foster youth and young adults who have recently emancipated from the system, including how they can support their journey. Provided by Executive Director Novelette Bowen, this presentation can be tailored to any audience and is followed by a Q&A session. Recommended for community groups, churches, schools, colleges and other organizations that want to understand the challenges of foster children while in or emancipating from the system.​

  • Agency Provider Training is recommended for government workers who come into contact with foster youth, such as employees of Children & Family Services, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Voter’s Registration. This half-day workshop educates providers on the challenges facing these youth and how to connect with these at-risk youth and help them get the services they need.

  • The Gateway to Success: Educating Foster Youth is a 1-day professional development program for high school teachers and administrators that informs these professionals of the challenges facing at-risk students and how to encourage and lead them to educational success. This course includes experiential segments where individuals or small groups are given a challenge and brainstorm regarding how to resolve the presented issues and steer students toward success. A version of this workshop geared to college counselors, administrators, and professors is also available.​

  • Mentorship/Leadership Training for adults who wish to pursue individual mentorships with foster youth and/or emancipated young adults and/or lead educational programs at RFV.

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OUTREACH

Our professionals work to establish positive, caring relationships that are rooted in trust with former foster youth who may be homeless and living on the streets, housed in shelters, and still in school. Our programs provide them with basic necessities to ease their daily struggles and offer them access to additional services and support. We make a concerted effort to reach these lost youth, inviting them to accept our help to assist them achieve their educational goals.

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