Be Part of the Village and Help Us Build Our First House
We are hoping to build our first house in Kannapolis, NC in 2020. This will be home to two young women who have aged out of foster care and will be the first step in their journey toward becoming happy, healthy and productive adults.
Our Vision
More than a place to live
The photo above is a concept that is near and dear to our hearts. We want to do more than provide housing for kids who have aged out of foster care. Our dream is to provide programs that include advancing their education, job training, life skills and therapy and, we want to do it all in a campus setting that is right out their back door.
The kids we will serve have been bounced around from family to family, often with all of their belongings packed in a garbage bag. Many have never had their own bed, let alone their own room and they have endured all of this through no fault of their own. They want what every kid wants, to belong, be accepted and be loved. They are not to be pitied, they are strong and resilient and they just need to know that they matter. Most 18-21 year olds are not ready to move on their own, especially if they have experienced trauma and instability for most of their life.
Getting the community involved. What better way to do this than to partner with for-profit businesses that will proved goods and services the community will use every day! These businesses will also partner with The Open Door House to offer jobs, training, education and internships to our residents as well as help sustain us financially.
We know this is a monumental undertaking but we also know that when we put God in the details, mountains will move!
Learn More
Want to learn more about our vision or how you can get involved? Click the link below:
About Us
Our Vision
For every youth who ages out of foster care to be a happy, healthy and productive adult.
Colossians 2:2
I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love.
Our Mission
We exist to provide safe, loving and stable housing for youths who age out of foster care.
Statistics- why we need to act now!
National Foster Youth Institute
More than 23,000 children will age out of US foster care every year.
After reaching the age of 18, 20% of the children who were in foster care will become instantly homeless.
There is less than a 3% chance for children who have aged out of foster care to earn a college degree at any point in their life.
7 out of 10 foster kids say they want to pursue college.
60% of young men who age out of foster care and are legally emancipated have been convicted of a crime.
7 out of 10 girls who age out of foster care will become pregnant before the age of 21.
Adopt US Kids.org
All children in foster care have been exposed to some form of trauma. The very act of being put in foster care is traumatic.
Child traumatic stress occurs when children and adolescents are exposed to events or situations that overwhelm their ability to cope and interfere with daily life and their ability to function and interact with others.
How does trauma affect children? It affects children's brains, bodies, behavior and ways of thinking.
Ongoing trauma often disrupts children's sense of security, safety, and sense of themselves and alters the way they see and respond to people and situations in their lives.
Approximately 1:4 children in foster care will show signs of post-traumatic stress disorder.
