Bring Hope to Foster Kids
Donation protected
Hi, my name is Jesse Setaro, and I spent 16 years in the foster care system. There are more than 400,000 kids in foster care each year, but most people never hear our stories. That's because so many of them end sadly. Did you know these statistics?
- 35% of foster children become homeless as adults
- Half of us are still unemployed at age 24
- We are 4x more likely than our peers to die by suicide
- A third of us have children by age 21
- 70% are arrested by age 26
- 80% of inmates on death row have spent time in foster care
I'm one of the 3% who earned a college degree after foster care, and I have built a life for myself as a personal trainer, a business owner, a churchgoer, and an active member of my community. When I was a teenager, I never thought I'd live to be 30, but today I have a great life and awesome friends.
Why?
As a kid, I didn't have a sense of direction, and I didn't think anyone cared whether I made it in life or wound up in jail. That changed when a great mentor came into my life. He loved me unconditionally when I didn't have a family to do that, and he taught me that my life mattered.
He helped me find direction by introducing me to fitness, and he inspired me to develop my skills, go to college for social work, and become a personal trainer. Thanks to his support, I was able to pursue my passion, start a business, and build a community of people who share this passion with me.
With my mentor's help, I was able to overcome the burden of my past and build an exciting future for myself. Now I want to pay it forward to others like me.
Project F: the First-Ever Gym for Foster Youth
My plan is to open a nonprofit fitness studio in Boston run by current and former foster youth. I have my own successful studio, so I know how to start one and build a base of clients. But rather than expand my own business, I want to use my skills, along with my degree in social work, to help and inspire others.
Under my supervision, foster kids will set up the studio, get the word out about it, and administer it each day. While I train the clients, the kids will learn the basics of fitness and running a business. More importantly, they'll have a place to call their own, and a mentor who can relate to their experiences.
What does that mean? I will:
- teach them about consistency, discipline, and goal-setting through fitness
- help with homework, getting driver's licenses, applying to college, finding housing and work
- advocate for them at school, work, and the DCF
- build friendships with them and create a positive environment where they can be happy and safe
- listen to them, love them, and accept them when they succeed and when they struggle
In addition, the studio will get foster youth off the streets and show them a pathway to success. By building a community of clients who care about this mission, we can introduce these kids to people who can inspire and support them. By introducing them to fitness, we can provide foster youth with a sense of purpose and discipline.
The goal is to help kids imagine and achieve their dreams, whatever those might be. And wherever they go in life, Project F will always be a place where they can return for friendship, advice, and support. Maybe one day they will even be able to mentor the next generation here.
Getting Started
The beauty of this model is that it pays for itself. Once Project F's studio is up and running, client fees will sustain the operation. But it is costly to open a location. I'm seeking to raise $65,000 because this is the amount it will cost to get this project off the ground in year one. We estimate:
- $38,000 to rent a centrally-located commercial space in Boston for one year
- $25,000 to furnish the space with the weights and fitness equipment needed to run a studio
- $2,000 for professional services necessary for a project of this scale (e.g. forming a 501c3, accounting, legal, marketing)
Right away, these funds will mean we can give 10-12 foster kids a job, a community, and a sense of purpose. But most of all, we can send them a message of hope. We can tell them that we care what happens to them, that people from all over are excited to see them build Project F.
That message meant the world to me when I was in foster care. Let's share it with others.
Thank you,
Jesse
Organizer
Jesse Setaro
Organizer
Boston, MA