Lexington played host Wednesday to the Every Youth Empowerment Conference.
A ribbon cutting was held for a new website intended to be a one-stop spot to find services for young adults transitioning from fost care to independent living. Paula Saenz is Transition Service Branch Manager for the State Department for Community Based Services.
“We have really taken a look at everything to do with independent living from the beginning to the end and everything in-between as far as programs and services and just tried to make improvements,” said Saenz.
Saenz said those services cover everything from housing, to education, to employment, to financial literacy.
After her grandmother died, Glenda Wright became a part of the foster care system for seven years. Two years after she tranistioned out of foster care Wright, now 23, believes the new portal will be a hit. “To be able to go onto one page and not like to hear it from anyone else but straight from the horse’s mouth, ‘this is what you are eligible for, this is what you should take advantage of, these are the opportunities we have for you.' It’s a game changer,” Wright said.
The Resources for Independent Success and Empowerment or RISE portal web site goes live on June 24.
Here's more of WEKU's Stu Johnson's interview with Glenda Wright.
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