Coneo Teen Organization - 2024 Highlights
What is CTo's mission?
CTO's mission is to identify organizations and individuals in need, and assist in the most effective and appropriate way. In the past few years, CTO’s focus has been primarily youth in crisis or aged out foster care young adults. Youth aging out of foster care often experience high levels of trauma and disruption that negatively affects the transition into adulthood. These young adults are often at high risk for depression, substance abuse, homelessness, early delinquency, and unemployment. Their life experience means they often need to learn how to have confidence, how to trust other adults, and how to develop skills that they have never learned.
Positive, safe and supportive relationships play a major role in the success of these young adults. Advocating for them also means teaching them the skills to advocate on their own behalf. Most of all, providing emotional support can help foster youth to achieve positive adult outcomes. Read on, and be inspired!
Positive, safe and supportive relationships play a major role in the success of these young adults. Advocating for them also means teaching them the skills to advocate on their own behalf. Most of all, providing emotional support can help foster youth to achieve positive adult outcomes. Read on, and be inspired!
Meet Eddie Melendez and be inspired!
Eddie at USC - School of Cinematic Arts
Jim met Eddie through Open Table, a mentoring program sponsored by James Storehouse, where a "table" of adults work with an aged out foster care adult to "redirect life trajectories towards positive change." Jim, along with five other adults, have been mentoring Eddie for the past year and a half, meeting on a weekly basis. Jim knows the group has had a positive impact on Eddie's life, but Eddie has also had a positive impact on theirs as well. Eddie's "table" has given him the power to “dare to dream” and he has given his mentors a window into the challenges of being a foster child.
Eddie's story: Eddie is a 21-year-old aged out foster care adult with big dreams. As a result of his mother’s drug addiction, death of his father, and the abuse of his stepfather, Eddie and his sister were placed in the foster care system at age 13. After high school, Eddie attended Ventura and Oxnard College to ready himself for a 4-year university with a goal of one day becoming a film director. In addition to going to school, Eddie worked part-time and was a role model for his younger sister. Like so many aged out foster care young adults, he struggled his first year of school as he was adjusting to independent adulthood while trying to maintain his studies, work and family life.
Through Open Table, Eddie was provided the support and guidance he needed. In addition to the consistent guidance of his mentors, Eddie was introduced to a student pursuing a master’s degree in film at Loyola Marymount University, a successful writer in the film industry, and several other significant role models to guide him to his goal of a 4-year college degree in film studies. Eddie finished his 2nd year of studies, made the Dean’s List, and was accepted at several colleges, including his dream school, USC, where he is attending fall of 2024 to study at the School of Cinematic Arts. He received several scholarships from local nonprofits and grants from USC to cover the tuition costs.
In addition to Jim's hands-on support of Eddie, Conejo Teen Organization has been paying Eddie's car payment for the last year and a half allowing Eddie to focus on his studies. We are so PROUD of Eddie and all his efforts to make his dreams come true!
Eddie's story: Eddie is a 21-year-old aged out foster care adult with big dreams. As a result of his mother’s drug addiction, death of his father, and the abuse of his stepfather, Eddie and his sister were placed in the foster care system at age 13. After high school, Eddie attended Ventura and Oxnard College to ready himself for a 4-year university with a goal of one day becoming a film director. In addition to going to school, Eddie worked part-time and was a role model for his younger sister. Like so many aged out foster care young adults, he struggled his first year of school as he was adjusting to independent adulthood while trying to maintain his studies, work and family life.
Through Open Table, Eddie was provided the support and guidance he needed. In addition to the consistent guidance of his mentors, Eddie was introduced to a student pursuing a master’s degree in film at Loyola Marymount University, a successful writer in the film industry, and several other significant role models to guide him to his goal of a 4-year college degree in film studies. Eddie finished his 2nd year of studies, made the Dean’s List, and was accepted at several colleges, including his dream school, USC, where he is attending fall of 2024 to study at the School of Cinematic Arts. He received several scholarships from local nonprofits and grants from USC to cover the tuition costs.
In addition to Jim's hands-on support of Eddie, Conejo Teen Organization has been paying Eddie's car payment for the last year and a half allowing Eddie to focus on his studies. We are so PROUD of Eddie and all his efforts to make his dreams come true!
“The purpose of human life is to serve, to show compassion and the will to help others.” - Albert Schweitzer
CASA - Court Appointed Special Advocates
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When children appear in court due to parental abuse or neglect, the court intervenes, and the child becomes a “dependent” of the court for safety. CASA was established to provide a voice for these children. CASA of Ventura County recruits, screens, trains and supports volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected court-dependent children in courtrooms and communities. CASA believes that every neglected child should be safe, have permanence and the opportunity to thrive, and have a strong, compassionate volunteer advocate.
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Cecy has support from CASA and Coneo Teen Organization in order to fulfill her dreams of a Master's Degree!
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Cecy is an aged out foster care young adult under the guidance of CASA. When we first met Cecy, she was studying for her undergraduate degree, and keeping a part-time job to make ends meet. She is now pursuing her Master’s Degree at CSUN and working full-time! CTO provided a microgrant for the cost of transportation to get to and from classes and her job. Go Cecy!
“Every kid is one caring adult away from being a success story.” -Josh Shipp
Pi House partners with Harbor House |
Jim and Diane purchased Pi House years ago when they recognized a need for a safe, home environment for young adults exiting the foster care system at age 18. They partnered with Denise Cortes at Harbor House to make this dream come true. Pi House is a home for male youth between the ages of 18-24 that have aged out of the foster care system. Harbor House reports that 36% of California aged out foster youth become homeless within 18 months of aging out of the system.
How does Pi House work? There are 3-5 beds available for young men who need assistance making the transition to become self-sufficient adults. Many of these young men have never had life skill support due to a chaotic and trauma-filled upbringing. A house manager is on site to provide support with life skills, money management, and educational needs. Each resident pays a modest rent and must be either working full time or in school full time, or a combination of both.
How does Pi House work? There are 3-5 beds available for young men who need assistance making the transition to become self-sufficient adults. Many of these young men have never had life skill support due to a chaotic and trauma-filled upbringing. A house manager is on site to provide support with life skills, money management, and educational needs. Each resident pays a modest rent and must be either working full time or in school full time, or a combination of both.
CTO answers the needs of the community by partnering with other nonprofits.
Harbor house
Donations for Harbor House
The community of Thousand Oaks recently lost the drop-in services at Lutheran Social Services, a nonprofit that provided care and outreach to the homeless community in the area. The center provided a critical lifeline for the poor and homeless community by providing meals, personal care services, and a place to collect mail and essential documents. As a result, Harbor House has experienced an increase in demand for the daily meal program, hot dinners, street outreach with the homeless, and laundry and shower services. Harbor House is working closely with local law enforcement and providing necessary outreach to those affected by the closure.
Denise Cortes, Director at Harbor House, believes all individuals in the community are our neighbors that deserve dignity and respect, and that by assisting in the needs of these individuals, they are providing a “hand-up,” not a hand out.
The staff at Harbor House are committed to the community in every way, and need all donations and support to continue to meet the increased demands due to LSS closure.
"I believe that homelessness is the human rights issue of our time. I believe our children's children will read about this issue in their history books, and I want to be able to answer honestly when they ask me, "What did you do?" - Denise Cortes, Executive Director of Harbor House
James storehouse
Jim with the recipient of a car through the James Storehouse Transporation Program. CTO supports the purchase of several cars per year.
Partnering With Local Nonprofits:
Conejo Teen Organization is honored to work with James Storehouse, a local 501 (c) (3) nonprofit in Newbury Park, that partners with public and private child welfare agencies. James Storehouse primarily assists foster care children, aged out youth, and formerly trafficked youth as well as caregiving families. We are currently partnering with them to support aged out foster care youth as they transition out of the system, by providing resources that will ease in that transition into adulthood.
In connection with James Storehouse, CTO recently funded the purchase of eight used cars for aged out foster care adults that needed safe and reliable transportation to and from work and/or college. CTO is also providing a year's worth of support for care of the car, including an AAA membership and an oil change gift certificate.
www.jamesstorehouse.org
A Young Cancer Patient
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We were made aware of a young female high school student in our community battling a rare and aggressive cancer called Ewing’s Sarcoma. The silent tumors were found in her knee, lungs and heart. Normal therapies worked at first, only to find that the tumors returned. The doctors decided to try immunotherapy, where the doctors work with the patient’s own immune system to target and destroy the cancer. The immunotherapy treatments were not covered by insurance, and the costs were significant. CTO was able to donate $10,000 toward a GoFundMe effort for the care and treatment of this young patient. She continues to fight her cancer diagnosis, with dignity and kindness, and even raises money for cancer research.
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We are rooting for you!
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More CTO Microgrants 2024
- CTO partnered with CASA by contributing toward the purchase of a used car for a young man named Andreas. He needed better transportation to and from work. He was able to provide 50% of the costs of the car and CTO split the remaining 50% with CASA.
- An aged out foster care young woman named Mae needed assistance with the down payment on a new in-home rental while she is pursuing her degree. Mae is doing great work studying for her BA degree, and thriving in her new living situation.
- Johnny grew up in Ventura with his 4 sisters in foster care. He joined the US Navy and had a small tattoo of an anchor on his hand while serving. He wants to pursue a career that requires no visible tattoos. CTO paid for the removal of Johnny’s tattoo.
- In May 2024, CTO was able to donate to the local Easter basket effort, coordinated through many of the churches in the community. This year, they were able to donate over 750 Easter baskets to underprivileged children!
- CTO was able to assist in the payment for braces for two young women in foster care.
We are grateful to the individuals and businesses whose generosities have allowed us to make donations. Please scroll through by pressing the menu tab at top to see some of the amazing organizations and individuals we have been able to assist on this page and Past Projects of Hope page!