The Hope Center at Pullen is our 2018 Small Grant Recipient!

Our 2018 small grant of $5,000 has been awarded to The Hope Center at Pullen. The award will fund stipends for 5 young women in or aging out of foster care in the Internship Program.

Young people in foster care have spent their lives on the receiving end of an array of social services, with little opportunity to give back to society and explore their leadership potential. The Hope Center at Pullen’s Internship Program allows these youths to develop employment and leadership skills in the business and non-profit sectors. The internships build resilience, an essential skill for navigating life, and help empower participants to become more independent and take control of their lives.

The Internship Program targets foster youth, ages 16-24, who have no work experience, have not been successful in a job, or want to gain experience in a professional setting. The internships are 10-week employment opportunities. Youth are referred by county and group home foster care social workers, self-referrals, foster parents and homeless shelters.

The organization gets to know the youth to ascertain which internship opportunity best matches their interests and abilities. Youth fill out an application that provides insight into their abilities, career goals, interests, and logistical barriers. Then they attend a resume/interview workshop and send their resume to a potential employer. The employer conducts an interview and offers the youth the position. The youth decides whether to accept the position. The intern builds a relationship with the site supervisor, who becomes a role model and part of a personal and workplace support network. The Hope Center then works with participants to determine their next steps following the internship: starting or returning to school, finding a job, or participating in another internship to gain additional skills.

Request for Proposal Theme: Raleigh non-profit that address women’s empowerment through services or advocacy.