How We Help

At-risk children come from many different situations:  they may be homeless or living in a car with one of their parents;  many were taken from their home because of abuse, neglect or abandonment and now live in foster care or group homes; several end up in emergency shelters because they have nowhere else to go.

When they turn 18 years old, a whole new set of challenges await them:  they are solely responsible for their shelter and food; they need to arrange for their own transportation needs for work and/or school; they need to find a job with as many hours as they can get; they need to continue their education in order to go beyond minimum-wage jobs and become self-sufficient.

The funds we raise are used to ensure the continuation of programs and assistance needed for:

1. Reuniting children with their families or a relative. Often the whole family needs training and guidance in parenting skills and anger or stress management which they receive through training and classes. We want to ensure these intervention and prevention programs are funded and remain available for families in need.

2. Placing the children in residential homes when it’s not possible to return to their families or relatives. Residential care not only provides the children with a safe and secure family setting, but it also provides extensive one-on-one counseling and treatment for coping with their abuse. We’re committed to helping these children receive the help they need so they see hope in their future.

3. Transitioning young adults into independent living. When the youth reach age 18, the state considers them “aged out of the system” and they’re basically on their own. We believe 18 is too young to be alone without the support of a family because statistics show that 33% of these youth will become homeless within three years. We want to provide educational assistance for these vulnerable young adults that will afford them opportunities to secure employment and provide them the ability to become self-sufficient.

We’ve also provided everything from new roofs for the residential homes, to vans for transportation, to total renovations inside and outside. Often we’re called upon to provide an emergency repair or new mattresses or Christmas gifts for teens that are often forgotten. We believe that these children not only deserve to have a safe, loving, nurturing environment but also one that looks and feels comforting and peaceful.

Wings of Hope also encourages young adults who have “aged out of the system” when they turn 18 years old to further their education by providing for school-related items and fees. Some examples would be to supply uniforms if they are studying to be a paramedic or nurse; purchase tools if they want to be a mechanic or carpenter; provide computers; cover lab fees, etc.

To this end, we’ve partnered with Children’s Home Society in Volusia County to create the WingsNet program which offers financial assistance and counseling to children who have “aged out of the system.” The goal of WingsNet is to encourage each youth to build a sense of self-reliance and independent skills by providing an incentive to save money, maintain employment and succeed in school.

As of 2011, we have given over ONE MILLION DOLLARS to help these children!