Prestigious honor given to San Diego-based, national organization, for its innovative work to heal political divisions in our community
San Diego CA— Just in Time for Foster Youth (JIT), a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to providing a community of support to help young people out of the foster care system after turn 18 stay on the path to self-sufficiency, has been named one of eight winners of the 2021 Aging Out Institute (AOI) Awards Program for its strategies of supporting youth after they age out of foster care. Just in Time for Foster Youth was awarded with $50,000 for winning the Mid-Size Organization or Program category, and $100,000 for winning the Youth Impact category.
“These AOI awards are a welcome confirmation of JIT’s commitment to lasting impact in the lives of the youth we serve,” said Just in Time’s Chief Empowerment Officer, Don Wells. “We’re fortunate to now have Lynn Tonini and AOI as recognized partners in our shared commitment to empower the resilient young people who need the resources and relationships that are critical to their success.
The Aging Out Institute Awards Program celebrates the effective strategies of organizations that work with youth who age out of foster care. For the first time, AOI was able to provide monetary prizes this year to the winning organizations to support their work with youth aging out of care. In addition, AOI will capture the award winners’ best practices with foster care professionals throughout the world through the Aging Out Institute podcast series, “Preparing Foster Youth for Adulting.”
“Winning an AOI Award is a significant accomplishment. The applications are judged by peers who work in the field of child welfare who assess each program based on strict judging criteria,” said Lynn Tonini, Founder and Executive Director of Aging Out Institute. “The programs that won awards this year are outstanding. We are particularly pleased that we are able to provide monetary prizes for the first time this year for the winning organizations to put toward their work with youth aging out of care.”
Just in Time for Foster Youth plans to use the AOI funds to expand outreach and access to critical resources and crucial relationships for more San Diego County youth.