My Father’s House Foundation, Inc.
“God bless the child that’s got his own . . .”
The mission of My Father’s House Foundation is to unite members of the faith community with leaders of local businesses, community service agencies, government, business, finance, education, and medicine to bring a message of hope to those who are displaced and without skills to succeed as an independent adult in their communities.
Bridge Builders to the Future:
Faith Community
Local Businesses
Community Service Agencies
Government Agencies
Education Community
Financial Community
Medical Community
Business Community
Foundation Overview:
My Father’s House Foundation was established in 1997 as a faith based 501(c)3, non-profit charitable organization. The vision that supports the foundation was given to Bishop Don E. Bush in 1977. Over the past 30 years the vision has continued to unfold and provide support for people in need.
The current initiative is the most pressing in that it will establish a transitional life skills campus for young men and women exiting foster care. The goal of My Father’s House Transitional Campus is to provide a safe and secure environment for young men and women between the ages of 17-21 who have aged out of the Foster Care. The campus will help this special group of young people safely navigate, as much as possible, the streams of adulthood as they move from dependence to independence.
While celebrating the news that a young man who lived in a group home was going to graduate from high school, we became aware of the plight of older foster youth. Little did we know, that graduation meant that he would have to leave his foster care setting. His options were severely limited due to his age, lack of job skills, social dependency, lack of independent living skills, limited cultural skills, maturity level, and general preparation for life after foster care
Children are not magically transformed into responsible adults, capable of making potentially life altering decisions simply because they graduate high school.
Because teens still need to be cared for, encouraged, taught life skills, and nurtured beyond the age of 18, My Father’s House Foundation was established.
The Foundation seeks to alter the predicted outcome for youth who are identified as “at-risk” for falling through the proverbial “cracks” including dropping out of school, an unplanned pregnancy, drugs, crime, prostitution, and even death. All too often, the public sees the tough “I don’t care” veneer, when a look below the surface reveals a young person who is fearful that he/she will become a statistic on the negative side of a police or welfare ledger, or worse, a casualty of the streets.
To positively alter the future of teens labeled as “at-risk,” My Father’s House Foundation has established — S.T.A.R.S.: Savvy Teens Assertive Resilient and Self-reliant. The S.T.A.R.S. Leadership and Mentoring Program provides training in conflict resolution, effective communication skills, leadership skills, parenting skills, transitional life skills, money management, and career focusing. all designed to prepare youth for life on their own. The program seeks to pair youth enrolled in the program with adults committed to serve as mentors for a minimum period of one-year.