Santa Clarita Valley nonprofit Finally Family Homes is seeking donations to ensure college-aged foster youth are remembered for the holidays.

Young adults who are aging out of the foster care system often find themselves alone for the holidays. For most college-aged young adults, the holidays are a time to reconnect with family, but for foster youths who never got a family, it can deepen feelings of rejection and isolation.

These young adults struggle financially to get by on their own. Many face homelessness and hunger. Many of them have children of their own.

Half of all young women who age out of foster care will have at least one child by age 21.

Finally Family Homes has gathered holiday wish lists from these young adults and their children and is seeking members of the community to help shop and give a better and brighter holiday season to these youth and families in need. Volunteers and community partners will distribute the holiday gifts to area youth.

“Even though we have 134 youth, we want each young adult to feel seen and cared for uniquely,” said FFH executive director Christina Dronen. “By celebrating that young person who wasn’t picked, didn’t get adopted, and may have had many disappointing holidays in the past, we remind them that they matter. It’s also important to empower them to give gifts to their little ones.”

There are a variety of ways to help with the gift drive. You can shop for a specific young adult, donate to support a gift, or shop their Amazon wish list. To learn more about all the ways to get involved, visit https://finallyfamilyhomes.org/charity-for-christmas/.

Finally Family Homes partners with young adults who are aging out of foster care to help them achieve lasting success in life. They provide for recipients’ basic needs such as food, clothing, toiletries, and housing. They invite these young adults into caring community, celebrating their milestones and supporting their educational goals.

You can email info@finallyfamilyhomes.org or call (661) 347-8502 with any questions.

For more information, visit Finally Family Homes.