Youths in Transition Find Choices at V.O.I.C.E.S.

When foster kids turn 18, they are no longer eligible for support from the state Department of Health and Human Services, which pays for their living expenses in foster homes while they are underage.

Many of them are forced into the “real” world lacking the skills and education they need to make the transition into independent living. It’s not unusual for young adults to wind up sleeping in the Napa homeless shelter after they turn 18.

That’s where comes in.

Founded by former foster youth in Napa, he non-profit agency’s name stands for "Voice Our Independent Choices for Emancipation Support. Since its start in late 2005, V.O.I.C.E.S. has served nearly 2,000 teenagers in Napa and Sonoma counties as they struggle to find their place in the adult world.

V.O.I.C.E.S. Napa is on Lincoln Avenue, west of Soscol Avenue, in a former day-care center owned by the . The unpretentious shelter is a safe haven for teens, said Napa site director Jenn Larson.

“These kids choose to be here, contrary to foster care where they have to be,” Larson said.

Ian Stanley, V.O.I.C.E.S. program director, said, “Our goals are education, employment, wellness and independence.

"We want to provide the tools and resources for kids to use, when they get cut loose from the state programs when they turn 18, to make it out there.

"Here at V.O.I.C.E.S., they have the support and resources to do that,” he added.

There is no cost to use V.O.I.C.E.S. services, Stanley said.

“Anyone 16 through 24 is welcomed. We don’t screen anyone, they can come here as long as they behave themselves.”

The facility doesn’t have sleeping quarters.

The pulse of the home is the open kitchen stocked with food, drinks and equipment.

“The fridge and cupboards are fair game for everyone unless something has a name on it,” Larson said.

“We also provide mailbox slots for our clients so they have a private and safe place to get their mail,” she said. “And we have a free washer and dryer.”

V.O.I.C.E.S. got a facelift earlier this year, sprucing up the converted home with a series of “” in which volunteers worked side by side with staff and youth on everything from painting to electrical work.

“We had about 500 volunteers who gave a total of 4,000 hours to do the upgrades,” Larson said. “We, staff and the kids, also did a lot of the work, like we learned to build a deck, paint and other things to help out.”

Andres Cantera, V.O.I.C.E.S. job consultant and a former V.O.I.C.E.S. member as a teen, said, “It took a while, but it is all worth it. The place looks great, and we all learned some carpenter skills.”

The remodeled facility is comfortable and welcoming, with the sense of warmth and security one feels in a family home.

Renovations include a study area with computer work stations and an overstuffed sofa. There is a new intake room, a medical room where doctors from Clinic Ole make monthly visits and a research library packed with academic books, materials and instructions to prepare youths for college.

V.O.I.C.E.S. has goals to expand its programs and share its knowledge with other counties in helping them set up their own V.O.I.C.E.S.

“V.O.I.C.E.S. is under the umbrella of On the Move, a non-profit that serves county youths,” said marketing and public relations manager Shannon Brown.

“We not only have the Napa V.O.I.C.E.S. program, we also have one in Sonoma County.”

V.O.I.C.E.S is funded by donations, fundraisers and some federal and state monies.

Local businesses also make in-kind donations of food and other necessities.

For more about the organization, see this article in the and visit http://www.voicesyouthcenter.org.

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