Former foster youth partners with Youth Villages Oregon to pay it forward

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Youth Villages Oregon worked to wrap 800+ gifts through their Holiday Heroes Campaign, Wednesday Night.

Youth Villages is a non-profit organization that helps youth from birth to age 22 through emotional and behavioral problems, with the goal of helping families live successfully. Much of their focus is on young adults in the foster care system.

“We send counselors into homes, schools, and other community locations so that we can help them overcome the challenges that they’re facing,” says Andrew Grover, executive director of Youth Villages Oregon.

Through the Annual Holiday Heroes Campaign, the organization can “fulfill holiday wish lists for youth and their siblings whose families may struggle to provide holiday gifts and necessities.”

This year they fulfilled 360 wish lists.

SEE ALSO:

One of Wednesday’s gift wrappers was Ethan Bulisco, a Youth Villages employee, who once was the recipient of a Holiday Heroes Gift.

Bulisco spent 7 years in and out of the foster care system.

“I’ve witnessed the most of it, most of the system, whatever is in foster care, I witnessed,” he says.

Seeking support as he aged out of the system, his case worker recommended Youth Villages. Bulisco says the non-profit’s programs guided him through life, educational, and career goals.

Bulisco, now an employee at Youth Villages, helps youth aging out of foster care.

“They know they have someone to connect with, whether that’s on a foster care level or hardships that they have gone through in life,” he says.

If you would like to participate in the Holiday Heroes Campaign, it is not too late. You can donate to youth villages here.

Copyright 2024 KPTV-KPDX. All rights reserved.