Even with the USA’s booming economy, the rate of homelessness in Los Angeles is growing exponentially each year. 50 percent of all young adults who age out of foster care end up homeless or incarcerated within a year. 71 % of young women will become pregnant and 38% of all children in foster care in California, residing in L.A. County. When these kids turn 18, and "age out" of the foster care system and/or group homes and orphanages, they then become homeless. Their personal belongings are placed in trash bags on their 18th birthday, and they are left to fend for themselves. The Sheehan Adopt A Family Project a 501c(3) organization's goal is to intervene in meaningful ways to help support, mentor and educate and house young adults so that they do not ever become a victim of homelessness. SAF's goal has moved from only “adopting” families during the Holidays by giving food, toys, money, and clothing to taking more direct action to prevent these vulnerable kids from ever becoming homeless. This is accomplished in part by getting technology into their hands to use for internships, scholarships, grants, employment, housing, and colleges. Empowering these kids to help themselves. You can donate safely online now at: www.safproject.org/donate-now

The SAF Project has accomplished so much with your support including opening 3 computer labs, partnering with the Vikings to help feed over 15,000 people, and have given away over 6000 toys at 10 children’s Holiday parties. With your contributions, SAF has also directly given away over 350 backpacks filled with toiletries and clothes for children in need and put over 100 computers into children’s hands who had no access otherwise to technology and are LA’s most at-risk youth. Every cent of what we have raised went directly into the hands of the needy, with all administrative costs covered within our own family. Our main objective this year is to raise $25,000 to continue helping kids who WANT to help themselves by learning and furthering their education and getting the training and equipment needed for them to achieve their goals. You can safely contribute online at www.safproject.org/donate-now OR mail your charitable contribution to The Sheehan Adopt a Family Project at 1590 Rosecrans Ave, Suite D 360 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. Donations are tax-deductible.

Vista Del Mar/Stepping Forward/Opportunity House

According to the US News, youths make up the fastest-growing homeless age group in LA, with those ages 18-24 up 64% since 2016. This shocking statistic helped us determine a real connection between homelessness and aging out of the foster care system. This led to us reaching out to 100-year-old Vista Del Mar, home to some of LA’s most at-risk youth. In March of 2018, we opened a brand new computer lab and began a computer skills training & mentorship program for the 46 youth residents. Over Covid 19 hundreds of kids used the Richard H. Sheehan Jr. computer lab as their only access to online education for 2 years.

In addition in 2019, and 2020 we donated 35 plus computers to Stepping Forward Los Angeles and The Opportunity House, Los Angeles whose incredible programs (along with ours) offer housing, paid internships, employment, food prep skills, grooming, technology training, financial literacy, and mental health support. We assist young adults on HOW to get their feet on the ground, set goals, and connect with resources and people who can support them to take action in their own lives. Our goal is to encourage youth to be self-sustainable, while also regaining trust in adults, each other, and themselves. Access to current technology is an enormous component critical to its success.

With Your Help

Thanks to the support of many people, including The Vikings Los Angeles https://www.losangelesvikingcharities.org, SAF has been fortunate enough to help thousands of families in the surrounding Los Angeles area, and now will be directly supporting some of LA’s most at-risk youth with our partnership with Vista Del Mar, Stepping Forward Los Angeles https://www.steppingforwardla.org and The Los Angeles, Room and Board Opportunity House https://larnb.org/the-opportunity-house.

The Sheehan family absorbs all the administrative costs of our organization, so that 100% of your donations goes directly to those in need.