Working together, agencies help youth transition from foster care to independence

Under the banner of "Fostering Youth Opportunities," the collaborative approach organized by the United Way of the Greater Triangle proves there is power in numbers.

Fostering Youth Opportunities brings together aid organizations as diverse as Wake Tech Community College, Durham's Life Skills Foundation and the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness.

“It used to be that they had to go to one agency to get food, another to get transportation and that’s really tough when you’re 18 years old to navigate all of that," said Stacy Bluth, executive director of The Hope Center.

Fostering Youth Opportunities allows for a single touchpoint to help young people overcome hurdles like finding jobs and housing and to answer the little questions like Stephanie Means' worry about where to call home during spring or fall break.

“We feel that by working together, we can accomplish a lot more and make finite resources go even further,” she said.

With the help of groups like The Hope Center, Means is now going to school during the day and working two part-time jobs at night. She’ll graduate with a bachelor’s degree in psychology in two years.