In recognition of May as a national care month, the city of Vallejo recognizes the efforts of First Place for Youth (FPFY).

FPFY is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young people acquire the skills necessary to transition to self-sufficiency.

In cycle 6 the organization First Place for Youth received funds for the implementation of the project “Vallejo Foster Youth-Striving for Success in Our Community”. This project was one of the projects with the highest votes on the Cycle 6 PB ballot. It was developed in collaboration with community volunteers from the PB process and is aimed at young people aged 16 to 24 who will eventually leave the care system .

Their goal is to prepare young adults for long-term success by offering participants various resources that will ultimately lead to them developing life skills and ensuring affordable housing and sustainable employment. They continue to serve the youth in Vallejo by providing individual and group support with a trained education and employment specialist.

Since January 2020, 19 young people have taken part in employment coaching, with a total of 641 individual sessions being held, and 15 young people have taken part in 96 small and large group workshops.

Due to the on-site COVID protection, most of the individual and group sessions were large workshops that focused on the following areas:

• Effective communication
• Independent life skills
• Campus tours
• Mental health
• Transition from high school
• Grief and loss
• Community building / celebrations.

The City of Vallejo and the FPFY recognize the need for Vallejo’s youth to have the opportunity to develop career paths within the community in which they live.

This project builds an ongoing partnership between First Place for Youth and Vallejo companies that support Vallejo Foster’s youth through paid internships and employment.

To learn more about the PB process and how you can get involved, visit the PB page on myvallejo.com