My son is in his early 30's and well on his way to FI. His wife supports this goal 100% and they are quite a team. One of my son's goals is to use his wealth to create a program for other young men who need mentors and hands-on type training in self-sufficiency, trouble shooting life's problems and knowing when and what direction to turn to overcome all the challenges that pull others' down. He is that rare employee in his age group who knows how to get difficult shit done and is fearless at it. He is rewarded and promoted, etc. He walked out of the school at age 16, got his GED and never looked back.
His wife is a social worker. They want to create a small non-profit maybe, or just a rental complex that fills some gaps. Lately, the talk is about a small complex where they would recruit renters who are young men aging out of foster care. Or maybe taking it back one step and catching them as 15-16 year olds and operating it as group housing. So, they would screen for those who want to/are able to learn the badassity type life skills and take power over their own lives. There would be a short window of opportunity in time for these young people to get power over money and stand on their own.
A requirement would be that they also give back by mentoring a younger person in foster care system - taking power by becoming part of the solution rather than the role they receive as "the problem".
Of course, jobs are scarce in this area. And we're somewhat rural. Transportation is a challenge. My son is excellent at recruiting and bringing in older people who are fun and have interesting life skills they would share. My daughter is licensed, etc. and connected to the state's foster care system/legal/safety, etc.
Foster kids who are aging out do receive some state benefits for a short time - to help with the costs of transitioning. We're wondering if that small pool of support could be maximized by a more concentrated effort to teach those life skills and get them to a place of empowerment before the support drops off. Also, to give them a bit of peer network. And the voice in helping those coming up behind them.
Anyone know of a similar program? Any feedback or thoughts? Any youth training programs already out there that follow mustachian type philosophies? One positive is that these kids are starting with nothing - so the parental support isn't clouding their drive or vision. They know the odds are against them. The daily life skills they've learned from immersion in the system - probably not that many good role models in their experiences so far. Maybe we'll find out differently. But, many of them are moved from home to home throughout their childhood - with no good root system.
I'm a fundraising/grant writer. Got to dust off the old skills a bit - but I feel like this one could gel up. It would have several streams of revenue with the rental/state short term financial support/possible funders to fill gaps,what jobs the youth were able to get with the program's support would ease the program's financial weight, possibly some youth mentoring grant money or judicial district funds for targeted youth to keep them out of the court system, etc. I have experience with this age youth in a social entrepreneurship training with access to some start up money if they get that far in the program. It's a difficult curriculum but it focuses on entrepreneurial thinking rather than "looking for a job', instead looking at "creating a job".
Thoughts? Thanks in advance! I know you all understand this would be a shoestring operation and the goal we are trying to achieve.
