January 2025

The Bridge Begins at Thanksgiving

A bridge is being built between Pasadena Village and Journey House. It will bring young people who have aged out of foster care and are moving on with their education with help from elders in our Village. Intergenerational programming is being developed by Katie Brandon and Jesse Aguiar, executive director of Journey House. This is an initiative I began through my involvement with both organizations. 

We all have much to offer. We all have much to learn. This programming will provide an opportunity for us to learn about the unique challenges in this community of young people. We will also have an opportunity to share the wisdom of our seasoned lives. The exchange has the potential to blossom in wonderful ways.

Several of our Villagers are already involved in various ways with this organization and have found it to be deeply gratifying.  Toni Cavanagh has been a longtime supporter of this organization and  I am involved with the Journey House Sisterhood.  Quite a few of us have attended their graduation dinners, Journey House’s 40th Anniversary Celebration and other events. Many of you contributed tea cups for the first-ever Sisterhood Tea Party that I introduced last spring. We are all impressed with the commitment these young people have in following their dreams. They are beating the odds. Statistics show that only about 4% of former foster youth graduate from college.  

Jesse and several of the young people made a panel presentation to our Village several months ago. If you missed it, please go to their website to learn more: www.journeyhouseyouth.org.  

Few of the young people at Journey House have families to celebrate the holidays with. Journey House is like a “family home” for them. Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners are well-attended and important for these young people, their partners and their children. 

You will be hearing more about the Thanksgiving dinner in the coming weeks. We will have an opportunity to volunteer to cook, serve and eat with the youth and their families for Thanksgiving. Their dinner is held on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. We have much to learn from them and much to offer them.