Dear friends,

Some of you know I have been serving on the Board of Directors for Optimist Youth Homes & Family Services (Optimist). I am asking for your financial donation to further the mission that Optimist passionately pursues.

Optimist has for over 100 years, stood as a beacon of hope, addressing the evolving needs of young people, particularly those most vulnerable and marginalized – through education, counseling, housing support, and resources. We are also an organization that is dedicated to serving youth and families in and at risk of foster care. Optimist assists these young adults as they transition into full independence with social and psychological support services in addition to a host of other wrap-around services to prepare them for successful adulthood while overcoming adversity and inequities.

As a Board member, I learned that there are roughly 22,000 youth in foster care in Los Angeles County – and when they “age out” of foster care at age 18, many who are often survivors of sex trafficking and/or other abusive home situations, find themselves unhoused. On any given night in Los Angeles, roughly 3,000 young adults experience homelessness. About one-third of unhoused young people are those who exited the foster care system and they are disproportionately Black/African-American and Latino/Hispanic.

I am asking you to join me today to support Optimist and directly help the youth in our programs.

With your support:

o We will continue providing much-needed mental health resources to those young people experiencing emotional, psychological, or behavioral challenges.

o We will continue to enhance our wraparound services to help families provide a safe and nurturing home for our most vulnerable youth.

o We will continue to protect the rights and freedoms of young women – especially those who are at-risk or survivors of sexual exploitation through our advocacy programs.

o We will expand our job training programs and career readiness workshops, equipping young adults for economic success.

o We will continue to evolve to meet the growing needs of today’s youth and families regardless of societal challenges or threats.

We cannot do this important work alone. I am asking you to make a financial gift to support Optimist. Your gift is an investment in our youth – our future – to ensure that every young person has access to the services they need and deserve.

Thank you!

Eileen Chun-Fruto