The Board of Together We Can

Welcomes our new Executive Director, Tom Crockett

 

Tom brings more than 18 years of experience in the world of nonprofit management, grantsmanship, marketing, and fund raising will begin with us on March 1, 2010. He recently served as the statewide Executive Director for Young Audiences of Virginia.  In addition to his work with Young Audiences, he worked in the educational division of Polaroid and he also directed the ArtQuest Program for the Norfolk Public School System.

Tom received his bachelors degree of fine arts from ODU and his masters degree of fine arts from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago.  He was a participant in the Hampton Roads Civic Leadership Institute in 2009.  Tom has also served as a foster parent during his years with the Norfolk school system.

  We know that he is going to play a vital role in helping us move forward in our vision to serve as many foster youth as we can in the Hampton Roads Community.

 

 

  • October 2009 -  The Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) sponsored a walk/run to raise awareness of the needs of youth in foster care.  COMTO focused on the need to recruit Together We Can mentors to work with the youth.

 

  • August 2009 -  Runnymede Corporation donated office space to Together We Can in the BB&T Building located at 5101 Cleveland Street in Virginia Beach.   Virginia Beach Visions has donated office equipment.

 

  • July 2009  - The Town Center Kiwanis presents Together We Can with a donation from its golf tournament proceeds

 

  • June 2009 - Together We Can sponsored a talent show for the youth in foster care.  The kids displayed a wide variety of talent including reading original poetry, singing, dancing and Taekwondo.   

 

  • May 2009  - The Virginia Beach Foundation awards a grant to the Together We Can Foundation to develop housing options for youth aging out of the foster care system in Virginia Beach.    

 

  • January 2009 -  The Town Center Kiwanis announces that the Meyera E. Oberndorf Golf Tournament will name TWC as its primary beneficiary of tournament proceeds.  

 

  • July 2008  -  Together We Can Foundation (TWC) was incorporated as a nonprofit organization   in July 2008 and we received our tax-exempt status as a 501(C)3 entity a few months later

Most youth in foster care face life challenges many of us can only imagine, beginning with not having the benefits of a permanent home or family.

Every year in this country, 20,000 children exit or age out of the foster care system. Four years after exiting the foster care system,

  • 25 percent of former foster care children have been homeless,
  • Less than half graduated from high school,
  • 42 percent became parents, and
  • More than 80 percent were unable to support themselves.

In Virginia, the challenge is even greater. Since 2000, Virginia has led the nation with the highest percentage of foster care youth who age out of the system without permanent family support.

Fewer than six out of 10 children who are or have been part of Virginia's foster care system graduate high school.

Less than three percent of former foster care children earn a college degree.

Foster youth need the love and support of a caring community. The Together We Can Foundation was created to address the needs of at-risk individuals. The initial projects will focus on foster youth.

The Together We Can Foundation, a tax-exempt organization, will work with the community, businesses, clergy, civic leaders, human service agencies, and other foundations to improve the lives and the futures of foster youth.

We need your support. Please visit our How to Help page!

The Together We Can Foundation's mission is to provide:

  • Hope and a path to higher education and vocational training,
  • Opportunities to obtain employment skills which will help prepare them for independence,
  • Adequate preparation to assume the responsibilities of living independently, and
  • A support system which will create permanent connections to help foster youth succeed in their transition to adulthood.

Together We Can Foundation Five-Year Goals:

  • Increase the number of foster care children who complete higher education and/or vocational training opportunities by working with institutions of higher learning, vocational schools, and scholarship programs.
  • Support the development of employment opportunities for young people aging out of foster care by creating partnerships with area businesses and advocating for changes in Medicaid regulations that are a disincentive to employment.
  • Partner with area providers to develop independent living programs for youth aging out of foster care, including supervised living programs.