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What happens when a youth in foster care turns 21? Far too often, the answer is devastatingly simple: they receive a garbage bag with their belongings and face immediate homelessness. Without family support or a safety net, these young adults find themselves in crisis with nowhere to turn.

Meet Clara Wilson and Sean Tull from New Vision Youth Services, a nonprofit organization celebrating 16 years of addressing this critical issue. Based in South Norfolk, Chesapeake, they provide comprehensive support to disadvantaged youth ages 13-21 (up to 24 for those in foster care) who lack the family connections most of us take for granted. Through their custom GED program and transitional housing services, they've helped approximately 500 young people since 2022 alone.

The conversation reveals the stark reality behind youth homelessness and the profound wisdom in Clara's powerful question: "Who was in your circle?" Before judging someone struggling to become self-sufficient, she challenges us to consider who helped us succeed—parents, siblings, teachers, mentors—and then imagine having absolutely no one. This perspective shift illuminates why New Vision's work is so crucial in providing that missing support system.

Recent funding cuts have created unprecedented challenges for organizations like New Vision. With the reversal of "Housing First" policies and substantial reductions in federal funding, they've had to adapt quickly while watching other nonprofits close their doors entirely. Despite these obstacles, they remain committed to their mission, emphasizing that even small contributions—like their "$5 Friday" initiative to provide bus passes—can make meaningful differences in young people's lives.

The preventative approach New Vision champions not only transforms individual lives but also prevents the much higher societal costs of incarceration and emergency services that often result when homeless youth turn to desperate measures to survive. Join them at their upcoming 7th Annual Gala in November or visit newvisionyouthservicesinc.org to discover how you can become part of their critical support circle for youth who have no one else.

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