In 2017, YOTO was awarded a $10,000 grant from the Anthony Robbins Foundation to provide a minimum of 71 stipends to homeless youth. These stipends are based on several factors such as the timely receipt of progress reports, good attendance per each school’s standards, the number of classes in which a student is enrolled, and the number of “C” or better grades earned. This monthly stipend helps take the edge off their poverty by providing a safety net for daily financial challenges while also creating accountability for school attendance and academic progress.
Like the Anthony Robbins Foundation, YOTO seeks to make a significant difference in the quality of life of youth often forgotten. We truly believe that it “takes a village to raise a child,” but sadly, homeless youth frequently fall by the wayside. These young people are the most difficult sub-population of homelessness to reach: many of them are embarrassed or feel guilty about their circumstances, and others fear they will end up in the child welfare system if they come forward. Feeling hopeless and burdened with financial obstacles, many of them are afraid that they only have one option: to drop out of high school and get a job.
However, with YOTO and the Anthony Robbins Foundation’s help, these forgotten youth provided with meaningful guidance and the assistance that they need to stay enrolled in school to their graduation. Together, YOTO and the Anthony Robbins Foundation are creating positive change in the lives of students who simply need a hand up – not a “hand out” – to help them graduate and make a productive transition into further education, work, and adulthood.
