Listen Up with Host Al Neely
Hi, I'm Al Neely. I've spent most of my life asking, " Why do people behave a certain way? Why don't people understand that most everyone wants basically the same thing? Most everyone wants their fundamental need for peace of mind, nourishment, shelter and safety."
What I have learned is that because of an unwillingness to open one's mind to see that some of the people you come in contact with may have those same desires as you do. We prejudge, isolate ourselves, and can be hesitant to interact, and sometimes we can be belligerent towards one another. This is caused by learned behavior that may have repeated itself for generations in our families.
What I hope to do with this podcast is to introduce as many people with as many various cultures, backgrounds, and practices as possible. The thought is that I can help to bring different perspectives by discussing various views from my guests that are willing to talk about their personal experiences.
Hopefully we all will learn something new. We may even learn that most of us share the same desire for our fundamental needs. We may just simply try to obtain it differently.
Sit back, learn, and enjoy!
Listen Up with Host Al Neely
Youth in Crisis: How New Vision is Rebuilding Lives
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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Hello everyone. I'm Al Neely with Listen Up Podcast. Thank you for joining us today. Today we have Clara Wilson and Sean Tull and they are from the New Vision Youth Services. It's a nonprofit foundation. They operate out of the South Norfolk section of Chesapeake. Right Chesapeake, yes, those borders, they always kind of confuse me because you have three cities sitting right there. Yes, and we have to start over my mic's falling yeah.
Speaker 1:I touched it. I shouldn't have. Yeah, you got it All right. It might be a little too high. Okay, one, two, three, hello everyone. I'm Al Neely with Listen Up Podcast and today we have Clara Wilson and Chantal. They are from the New Vision Youth Services. It's a nonprofit organization based out of South Norfolk, which is considered Chesapeake. So if anybody knows the area, we have Chesapeake, norfolk and Virginia Beach, so y'all kind of coalesce right there in that intersection. Yes, I met you guys through cash and your organization. It reaches into other cities in the area and the great thing about it is we're all connected in this area. So you've done a lot of good, a lot of good work with youth. So talk about. Ms Wilson is the CEO of the and the president of the organization. Let's talk about how you got started. How old is the organization and when did you get started?
Speaker 3:Yes. First of all, I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to be able to share the work that we do here at New Vision Youth Services. Incorporated and New Vision Youth Services is actually we will be celebrating 16 years this month, august. We are based in South Norfolk, chesapeake. We are a nonprofit organization and we provide services to disadvantaged at-risk youth age 13 up to 21. We go up to 24 if they're in the foster care system.
Speaker 3:The organization was started by myself. As far as being the founder of New Vision, I actually started with the focus with youth that were aging out of the foster care system, that did not have a family support system. I started working in a boys facility where I was actually working teaching life skills to young men that was aging out of the foster care system and did not have a family support system. The challenges that I saw there working at that facility where no family, transitioning from the foster care system, going to college and not having a place to come back to during the holidays, spending the holidays there and witnessing no one, having no one on Christmas days. I took my experience from that, from working there, and tried to see how I can affect change as far as changing the system, changing as far as advocating on behalf of youth that were in the system, that didn't have a place to go and didn't have a support system.
Speaker 3:And so the organization has been, like I said, operating for 16 years, and we started always working with the homeless population, individuals that were always at an emergency crisis level, and we took that and expanded throughout the years as far as ways that we can prevent homelessness, ways that we could create solutions, ways that we can make self-sufficiency, which is the goal of our organization, to help everyone to become self-sufficient and be able to take care of themselves. And so, through our work, that's where we've developed programs, not just basically working in an emergency level at all the times, but finding solutions to what the crisis is Gotcha.
Speaker 1:Sean, let me make sure Norfolk State graduate, you have a degree in social work.
Speaker 2:Is that correct, Actually communications bachelor and then master's in counseling?
Speaker 1:Counseling. Okay, how did you become involved with the organization?
Speaker 2:Well, actually this is one year for me now. Okay, yeah, one of my passions have always been working with youth. My background from ever since I've been in Virginia working with youth in ministry was a youth pastor earlier in my life and helped build at a church Chesapeake Christian Center like a vibrant youth program that had up to like 200 youth and so on and that just stayed with me throughout my career when I went into television, then into finances. Just stayed with me throughout my career when I went into television, then into finances. But when I came to a place where I was like hey, after COVID I was like wanted to kind of touch back into my passion and I saw the position of the program coordinator and really didn't know a lot of what New Vision did at the time and really didn't know a lot of what New Vision did at the time.
Speaker 2:But ever since I came on board, just the ability to impact so many young people throughout the cities because I say cities because it's just where in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, norfolk, portsmouth we have touched them and even some other areas just helping them become productive young adults. So I get the chance as a program coordinator really to sometimes be the first time touching them or being a place to tell other organizations that, hey, we're here as a resource for them and tying them together and what we do is so important. So I get to see also, then, the results of young people when they take hold of the tools, how they're becoming better, and that's what that's what it's all about.
Speaker 1:Right, ms Wilson, I I vaguely know that you work with a lot of the um, the educational school, the schools and educational programs in each one of the cities. How did you come about being able to provide what you're doing and then having that combined with what the needs are of the cities and what cities are you working with?
Speaker 3:Well, we're, we're basic. Like I said, our headquarters is based in South North, it's a part of Chesapeake. We provide services to mostly all the cities Chesapeake. We are in the city of Chesapeake. We have expanded here to Virginia Beach with our educational program.
Speaker 1:What takes place with the educational program.
Speaker 3:So the educational program is um, we provide GED prep and GEG um classes. So, um, our program, our GED program prep program, is a custom program that's designed to fill a void with we. Um, we saw that was, I want to say, a hole in the system With our program, one of the things as far as we're working with on a daily basis. We have many social workers, probation officers, schools that will reach out to us, and we have students that have fallen so far behind that may not be at the fault of their own. It could be parents could be absent, it could be homelessness or it could be the COVID situation which we had to go through a huge crisis on that level.
Speaker 1:Did you have to make adjustments for what you were doing prior to COVID? Yes, what are you seeing now?
Speaker 3:Yes, and what did you?
Speaker 1:both before and after.
Speaker 3:So so before COVID um we were, we had built the custom GED program where we were um working with students that was would fit our model.
Speaker 3:And when I say our model is these students that are so far behind that they will not be able to graduate with their peers.
Speaker 3:And then you had the students that were not able to, were so far behind. They couldn't take the basic tests to obtain their GED because there's four tests that you would have to pass in order to get the GED and, like the score range 145 to 150 to say, pass each test, they may be scoring at a 120 or 119 or below, and so those individuals were not ready to test to pass the GED. So we had to create a model to meet them, where they are to do the prep program that we developed, where we work with case managers to do an initial assessment and then the initial assessment is determined, determines where they are testing at with the GED ready, and then the practice assignments we brought on. We had one instructor, then we brought on we have now two instructors and each instructor um personalized, each individual situation, working with a full team programmers, um, case managers, the GED instructors, life skill coaches. Everyone is involved to to make the person whole, and so it takes a team.
Speaker 1:Yeah, are you, do you realize, or are you seeing, or can you identify? If you had to put it in categories, you deal with foster children as well, right, yes, okay, and one of the things that I learned from you was never thought about it. Once you're in a foster home, you get to a certain age, you're you have to leave that program, right, so you're homeless, yes, so thanks for teaching me that, but are you seeing a need in specific areas? A need in specific areas? Is it the house, the economic situation from a housing standpoint or a family standpoint, or is it some other issues? Is it foster or people that are dealing with human trafficking? I'm just trying to figure out. Where are you seeing the biggest cause of the issue?
Speaker 3:So so all of those we can find.
Speaker 3:But I want to say, as far as this touch base back to the aging out we call the term aging out of foster care system. That's where we started. As far as building the organization or aging out, being working at the facility that I was referring to earlier, um once, um a youth, they're, say, in the foster care system and they turn 18, they have the choice to leave the system or they can go into alternative programs with um. If they have the um, I want to say if they meet the level of going into, like the programs. As far as many programs where they are able to go into college and college is paid for, school is paid for but the ones that have been in the foster care system and they turn 18, some of the youth that are in the program may say I have been in the system so long and I haven't had the ability to make my own decisions, to do what I want to do, and when I turned 18, I finally can say I now can do what I can do and I don't have to basically be in the system anymore. So many may choose to go their route. But being in a system, of course there's a reason why you're there because there's no family, maybe no family or no support system and many of them may lack the skills to be able to take care of themselves and not having that family support system or anyone Pretty soon.
Speaker 3:We, for working in New Vision, we've seen the homelessness may kick in like within a short period of time because many people will look at say, you have a mother and a father or you have an aunt or uncle. We work with individuals that have no one. There's no one in that circle. So the crisis sets in and many of the individuals I think the majority of individuals that are sex trafficked are from the foster care system because it could be what they may call an easy target the vulnerable kids that are out there that don't have no one that will hold them accountable or have someone that may be there to say where's this person, because you know there's a family member that's not there.
Speaker 3:So I can see as far as how that could possibly be a target. So we've done many advocacy work working as far as addressing the bills for foster care. We've done a lot of work as far as working with the Affordable Care Act as far as kids that are in the foster care system that do not have family supports. For instance, any person with a mother and father would stay on their parents insurance until age 24. They had to go back and think about OK, well, what about the foster care individuals that don't have parents, that do not have insurance to fall under? As far as I believe, as far as the Medicaid Affordable Care Act program.
Speaker 1:I'm curious because I want to know has the current policies changed? Are those programs still available or no?
Speaker 3:Yes, and I'll, and I'll let you address what you know, sharon.
Speaker 3:So so, um, I, of all the work that we've done in 16 years, um, I now can say that this is the first time that we've ever seen a crisis where we are trying to refocus on what's going to be next.
Speaker 3:We are at a time where non-profits are addressing so many issues where the funding cutbacks.
Speaker 3:So when we first started addressing the challenges, we didn't think that we would be affected because we are not a federal, federal funded program and so. But as we went along, most of the funders that we work with that trickle down to us as a nonprofit are federally funded, are federally funded, and so these are trying times for many of the nonprofits right now, and not just for the nonprofits in regards to the cutbacks, but the services in general. Our every day is to support homeless individuals, homeless people that do not have anyone. The cutbacks that we've seen in services for homeless people is kind of it's unbelievable, and the services as far as, in general, the cutbacks. So we are in a trying time right now and everyone not just new vision, everyone have to regroup and see how we need to step in, trying to find new people to step up um to, to replace um the services that's not just been cut for nonprofits, but the services that are cut for, in particular, homeless individuals that don't have anything.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Are you connected or do you have relationships or move back and forth with other nonprofits? Yes, okay, and similar nonprofits, I'm assuming. Yes, okay, so that's where you're getting your information. Yes, are you finding that you are able to come up with ways to keep things going or has it been difficult? Is?
Speaker 2:that a Sean question. I just chuckled. But that's definitely a difficulty because what we're doing is we're literally having to replace on the fly because there's no warning, no real. You know, the thing is everything happened so quickly, so fast, it was no time really to prepare. It's just a sudden change. So with that, as our organization, we know we had to change, we had to adapt. We're not going to not do the work.
Speaker 1:The need for the services is still there Actually is increasing, yes.
Speaker 2:So it's like, ok, we have to, we have to do that.
Speaker 2:Services in that same part.
Speaker 2:I like to kind of put it like this this is where the community, if they value the services they need to support, because if the government can't or won't be able to support, then really it's the community, it's your friends, your business owners, the ones that's being affected, because when it's impacting the streets or when someone sees someone homeless on the street, really that's a byproduct, that's not the problem, that's a byproduct, that's the symptom of the problem keeping people from being vulnerable, from being on the street, from like the foster care or being trafficked or going into when they're feeling desperate that they might have to turn to crime or any of those things, because all those things are really symptoms of a greater, of another problem.
Speaker 2:Love new vision when I came and I saw that we we like even the GED program or the transition housing program is two main programs that we was focused on the individual and what, what is the issues behind it. Because you know, if your issue is really homelessness or hunger or or you need support, then you can't focus on school, right, you know school, school is about the failure at school or lack of or lack of attendance or doing that is a again the symptom of what was the cause.
Speaker 1:Yeah, one of the things I've noticed. I've always had that desire and want to be benevolent and to go out in the community and help. What I realized is there are a lot of people, a lot of organizations, doing a lot of this work right and people don't know about them. Um, they're doing good and they're having a difficult time keeping up Right and everyone says there's a need for it. We are. It's commendable what you guys do. I'm just trying to figure out how we can help get some of this stuff funded. From talking with all these organizations, it's been a challenge.
Speaker 3:I think, like I said, everyone is going to have to, everyone is forced to make an adjustment with the new changes, and so I think what needs to be as far as communicated, as far as for the community, we're hoping that the community can, can can step in and and um be involved a little bit more. Um, homelessness is a. It's a huge crisis. A lot of people will will come to us and say well, what, why are they in the situation they're in? I want to, and I we have to, explain a lot of times that you have someone in your circle aunt, brother, cousin there's most of the people that we work with. There is no one in that circle, there's no one, and so they are working or they're living on the street because there's no brother, there's no sister, there's no family, and so we try to, we educate and try to communicate that as much as possible for someone to say, well, why is the person not working? Person may not be working because there was no mother, there was no father, there was no system, they didn't have the ability. They may have been in the foster care system all their lives and when they turn 18, they're out. There's no one in that circle. So we try to address our challenges holistically, addressing the person in whole. We have a GED program, of course, here we just expanded here in Virginia Beach and then we have the GED program in South Norfolk Tuesdays and Thursdays. We can, for instance, one of the things we talk about we can't expect the person to be in the class if there's no food or they have no one at home or a place to go. So even though they come to us and say we want to go into the GED program, the team that we put together before we even get to that level, we address the instability, what's causing you to be where you're at, on a case management level, and fix those challenges first, and then the GED class comes later.
Speaker 3:But unless you're whole, you have clothes, you have food, you have shoes, you have just the basic needs, or you don't have a place to go and you may sleep in your car, yes, we will help you with your GED, but that's address the housing challenges. Where you're at, you don't have any food, no clothes. So all of these partners that we have partnered with throughout the years fills in the void the food pantry that we work with, many of the donors or partners that we have that donate us gift cards. For people that's walking through the door and say I don't have any groceries, we provide those free gift cards. People that walk in the door and say I need to come to the GED class but I don't have transportation. We have donated gift cards for bus passes, for the for the transportation. So all of those things makes the program works. But it all works because of the support of the community and the funding systems that we have.
Speaker 3:But many of the funding systems are being taken away and that's what I I want people to know that um, the challenges are here.
Speaker 3:Um, I do know that where we at right now, many of the nonprofits are not going to survive um a year because of the cutbacks. So even if you know, we would love you know everyone to support our organization. But if you know an organization that you are working with, contact that organization. They will tell you about the challenges and and um support in some way. It could be just one or two hours or three hours a week or hours a month or delivering merchandise, like our transportation people. We have people that have trucks that pick up items for our component, but you can get involved in any way. There's a lot that you can do and only requires a little bit of your time. But if the community have to step up at this point and and and and try to help with not just our nonprofit but all the nonprofits, because if the, the, the, the, where we at now there's some, there's, there's going to have to be some assistance at many, many different, many, many different levels.
Speaker 1:Gotcha. The one of the things I think takes place is we. When I say we, I even found myself not understanding the situation and how people get in that and then judging them based on what's taking place in my life and my life experiences, and I found that as completely different. You can't you can't judge someone based on the way you've lived your life or what you've done. Each and every person is different. So what I try to do is try to bring awareness to that. Um yeah, like the quote, dr King, you pull yourself up by your bootstraps, but you don't have any laces Exactly it's. I think we get caught up in that as a society. Well, that's just what they need to do. Of course it is if you think you can do it, or if you have the support system around your family and I have a huge family, so that is there. Even in this area. I have a huge family, so that that is there. Even in this area, I have friends and family a lot of people don't have.
Speaker 1:But one of the things that we know what specific programs. You've been doing this for a while. You've gotten recognition from the Congress and things like that. So what programs have been taken away or has been causing challenges? Which ones have been taken away? So, people, let's talk about this, so people will know what exactly it is, because everything in general people are just talking about these programs have gone away. Okay, because of the new administration's policies.
Speaker 3:Okay, so let's just go over just a few things that we know that have affected us. Okay, so we provide a transitional, a trans, a transitional, a custom housing program With the custom housing program. The reason why that program was created? Because we try to cater to our specific population that may have challenges, that may not qualify or may can't afford the housing in general. As far as shelter, with the funding cutbacks we still provide that program but we had to cut back drastically on the funding that we provide to the individuals that come into our program that meet the qualification of going into the housing. So the funding that was one of the cuts, one of the cuts that we've had to make recently.
Speaker 1:That was funding for housing for people there in this situation? Yes, and where did that funding come from? Specifically, From grants From grants.
Speaker 3:Which has been cut.
Speaker 1:Were provided by state, or are they federal grant mainly?
Speaker 3:So two of our top funders relied on federal funding. Okay, federal funding and I'm not as far as know, specific name, but to give you one example of one of our top funders, received federal funding throughout the years. Part of what they do with their federal funding was to support the local partners that work with them. We were a local partner, so we rely totally on that funding for like the last five years. So I think this was like the first year that we receive a notification. We are at a crisis level.
Speaker 1:Okay, we can't help you. I want to get forensic, but go ahead.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was going to give a real quick personal example of that. Ok, so we had a young lady. She turned age 21. This is one of my first cases that came in and was like, really up to running, she turned 21 right around. I think it was the 21st of December, which means she was in the foster care system, which means that on her 21st birthday, for her birthday present, she was basically homeless. So she basically got a garbage bag with your items. Hey, nice to meet you. Now you're on your own. I'm not saying that that's what they said exactly, but that's what's.
Speaker 1:That's basically what something like that implies.
Speaker 2:That's the results of that. She called us in crisis mode because of our transitional program. We was able to do some things and this is the mediator part. I was actually able to talk to some friends of hers. They was able to keep her over the weekend because this happened on a Friday over the weekend. To some friends of hers, they was able to keep her over the weekend because this happened on a Friday over the weekend. To come back to Monday, I believe the 24th was either Monday or Tuesday, but they was only going to keep her there.
Speaker 2:Our transitional housing program. We had a part where we call preventive program, where we could actually make arrangements, like with someone to give them a stipend to say, hey, can you hold this person for a month, two months, as we put a plan together for them to move and do whatever they need to do next. Well, we was able to do that. You know, a little stipend, part of that and in this case, in example, might only be like $200, might $250, whatever that is because you know that's going to be more on their bills but that was able to keep her and held her up and instead of being homeless, as she was telling me she was going to drive to the to the beach, virginia Beach oceanfront and sleep out there in December, which is not warm.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but Virginia Beach is not going to let people do that, right.
Speaker 2:Well, and that means you're hiding and trying to get through and do all that stuff. Instead of that, she was actually, for Christmas Eve, able to have a place to stay and in January we was able to start helping her transition to start getting her own place. She's now have her own, I think, cdl license, doing a job. All that, all doing great. Unfortunately, because of the cuts, that program to give that stipend is gone. We can't give that stipend to anyone. So someone in that same position, that which person had helped her for that month or so, would not help that person right now because we can't give them that money.
Speaker 2:So that's literally now might be a difference between a person being on the street and going to the oceanfront hiding from the police, trying to do that and live in, versus things that staying and then able to transition, get their, get their life together and keep on moving. You know it's, it's things like that. That's a real life example of of what they call that Uh, we know places that literally lost $6 billion in funding six of a B uh because it was coming from HUD. So the whole HUD program got closed out. So that's the all that and that was one of the grants that we was getting before, but now that whole organization didn't have that.
Speaker 2:Actually, that organization had to close down their doors and was and as a major funder in the area not just us, but in the area, but they're a national funder, but they had to close down their doors here in the area not just us, but in the area, but they're a national funder, but they had to close down their doors here in the area, in the Hampton Roads area. And that's like literal, you know, action of people. So so when someone say, hey, well, well, where that's coming from, that's exactly the impact of what you're seeing. So that makes sense. Yes, yeah, what you're seeing. So that makes sense.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, I don't think people look past because of what I do. I have to look down the road, okay, so I'm days, weeks, months, years into looking at things. So when you take a situation like where you're just explaining so if that person's on the street, they're going to turn to probably something illegal to take care of themselves, they're going to get locked up, then the system has got to pay for them to be locked up, yes, and then the taxpayers are going to be complaining about it's just it's. It's just a circle, yeah, circle, it's a vicious circle, yeah, circle, it's a vicious cycle that takes place. What are one of the questions I wanted to ask? I don't know if you know specifically about how long you've been doing this, how many or how, per year or what, how many people you help with the housing, finding the housing, and then now, how many you think you're going to be able to help.
Speaker 3:The difference between the two, since so we started our custom housing program on 2022 through a grant program, a three-year grant program. Since tracking that program because tracking outcomes for the grant we have up to date from 2022, we have serviced, I would say, up to 500 people since 2022. And that program as far as replacing them, as far as in helping them to transition into their own place with a preventative or whether their own individual working with landlords.
Speaker 1:These are all separate incidents. You're over 100 per year.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, yes, yes, and so, yes, and so the program continues, and I want to put emphasis on it we can't afford to not do the work, work. The program will continue, even though the funding has cut back. We must continue to do the work, and we now know we have to dig deeper and work harder to try to find more supporters and to find more partners the ones that are closing their doors because of the funding cutbacks to move forward. Housing is a major crisis right now.
Speaker 1:I think it is for people that can normally yes yes.
Speaker 3:So our every day, our every day, john, we get a call where a person is sleeping in the car, sometimes with their children, and we normally would say, okay, we need to help you to transition. The shelters are full. There's all the people that we work with. Everything is completely full. They are, everything is completely full. So, with a new, I think one of the new orders I think we've read a couple of months, about a month ago that they were going to be as far as there was going to be a transition of homeless people going to no longer be able to sleep on the streets. They was going to move homeless people off the streets. What is this now? There was and I'm still reading up on it, but there was maybe an executive order where homeless people that are sleeping on the streets are no longer going to.
Speaker 1:Or is this a federal executive order? Is this something coming from the Trump administration, or is this a federal executive? Or is this something coming from the trump administration, or is this? This is something that's coming from, like the executive order from the administration.
Speaker 3:Oh, okay, if you are um homeless and you're um are sleeping and I'm still reading up on it myself, right as far as being able to if you are homeless and you're sleeping on the street and you're around businesses and those businesses do not want you there or in the area, there may be the ability to be able to get um have those people arrested or moved um because they're sleeping on on the on in the area. Um, that was one of the pieces that we we we're reading up on now because my my concern is if that happens and the shelters are full, there's no beds, what, what, what is the solution? So, before they even take place or that move forward, they have to be a solution. So if that moves forward, if that goes through, that will definitely increase the work for and what that was is basically a few years ago, Well before last administrations.
Speaker 2:It was an emphasis on housing first, which was one of the programs that nationally. So about the Biden administration, so about the Biden administration, Biden and my executive order and it was a. You know each state have to interact with it differently, but really it was a minus, like saying, hey, get people in housing first, then deal with their issues.
Speaker 1:Exactly Because, if you're.
Speaker 2:if you're trying to deal with the issue and they don't have any housing, that is not really going to solve the issue. Yeah, so get them in housing, then deal with the issue. And they don't have any housing, that is not really going to solve the issue, so get them in housing, then deal with the issues. Um, the current administration reversed that and saying no more housing first, which? Which? The, the, the, the, the um. Way you cut that is stop HUD from doing that payout. So that's where the whole HUD got the whole dismantling.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Um so when you're down in it, you understand it better.
Speaker 1:Like so if you're never in it or you never come across those situations, I don't think you can really understand how it all works. Oh yeah, you know, um, I've used I've worked with gentlemen that I'm gonna call them gentlemen, but they're guys that helped me out and they basically were day help and they had issues, and one of the things that we always talked about is why they could. They had a difficult time creating structure and a lot of that was because they didn't have a place to go. That was consistent. They didn't have a place to go. That was consistent. So when they did have a place to go for a period of time, they perform better. They function better. So I understand that now you're going to be in a situation where there's no place to go Once again, like I said, now you're going to arrest them, lock them up, put them someplace and then the system has to take care of them.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, so the funny seals have to come in.
Speaker 1:You need to just switch it around what you're doing with the money.
Speaker 2:Yes, yeah, and that's where you know challenges, and this for me isn't like trying to say anything political, it's just the part of that is where your money is. It's about the resources, right, so is it. Do you with those resources? Can you prevent it? If you could prevent it, then you don't have a deal with it afterwards.
Speaker 3:All the side effects of yes.
Speaker 2:Because they're much greater, exactly If you do it remember the old people say the ounce of prevention worth a pound of cure.
Speaker 1:Yeah well you know, a lot of old people aren't around to do those things anymore the old souls interesting. So I think, like I said, your organization was one that's opened up my eyes. I've always wanted to do something, so I'm going to switch gears with my nonprofit to do something else. But what do we need to do to help you, besides bringing attention to what you're doing? You guys need funding, right.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:Yes, and you need. You may have to switch it to focus on the housing issue, because that might be the first yes, yeah, the first thing. What do you what?
Speaker 3:can you?
Speaker 1:tell people that they can do that.
Speaker 3:So we are increasing the services. Case management services is key. That's the point of contact and then the services. So we are reaching out, trying to develop new partners, new supporters, to replace a lot of the people that we have relied on in the past, that have supported us for years, and so we're hoping that those, that the funding for those groups, as far as foundations, will regroup and come back to the table as far as with us in the future. But until we do, we are looking for individuals that will like to be involved, and being involved could be very simple as far as having a truck to be able to pick up, to deliver the beds over to the transitional housing program for people in our program that may need a bed or may need a mattress, and someone is donating For people in our program that may need a bed or may need a mattress, and someone is donating, and so we are looking for people that would like to get involved. Of course, if you are a funder, we would love to talk to you, but in small things matters, and so there are a lot of ways that you can get involved. As far as the life skills, we have individuals that are waiting for life skill coaches, as far as persons that can help guide them through the process to get their GED. We have the case managers that are always looking for support services.
Speaker 3:One of the funding cutbacks that we had was as far as the gift cards that was donated us for groceries. That was one of the grants, that was one of the side effects as far as with the cutbacks. So the gift cards that we had is just going to say Food, lion or Aldi, or picking up the gift cards and just dropping them by our office. That would be a big, just just the small things like that. Right, that that really, that really really matters. So don't think that you would have to do a lot to get involved.
Speaker 3:There's um small things, we, we, we. At one point we was doing like $5 Friday. $5 Friday was saying, instead of you purchase a cup of coffee on Friday for $5, donate that $5 to New Vision and so, and that that makes a big difference, because a bus pass for to travel to work, um, or to travel to school, could be $5, a little bit more than $5, but just think about it like that. So, instead of purchasing the Starbucks coffee on Friday, make the donation to our organization for $5 and it makes a big difference.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm going to ask you the same question and I just want each person's answer Okay, each person's answer Okay. What would you say, or how would you explain it to someone that says you just need to get off your butt, okay, and go to work and do what you need to do to get yourself ahead? What would you say to that person?
Speaker 3:Okay, my, when I train for when you train I ask who was in your circle. Okay, my, when I train for me, I asked who was in your circle. Because if you, where you at right now, there was someone in your circle, take away all those people and that's what we have. So if you went to school, you changed a tire on your car or you are working, think about who were those people that help you. You want to name a brother, a sister, a distant cousin or someone. Someone was in your circle. There's no one that can say that they have elevated and not had someone in the circle. So we work with no one in the circle. So that would be my answer, because I hear that question a lot.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm pretty sure it's probably going to be somebody Exactly.
Speaker 3:So my question, my question is who was in your circle, and sometimes people will say, well, there was no one in your circle. I said did you go to school? Did you go to college? Did you? Did you? What did you? Yes, I went to school. So where did you? Where did you sleep when you was going to school or were? And so how did you get to school? I had a car. So did someone donate the car to you? No, my parents or my someone was in your circle. So if you so, just think about we. We, we work with people. There is no one in that circle. So when you say get a job or you can't, why can't you take care of yourself? Think about no one in the circle versus who you had in your circle. So that's my answer to that question.
Speaker 1:Where's your answer, Sean?
Speaker 2:Yes, I mean, that's, that's really the great answer, because that is the truth of the matter. I think a lot of times when people say that just get going or you know, just, just, just, you know, suck it up, or so on, and I get it, I get, I get, I get that because you know, a lot of times in our generation, or if you're older, you start to say, well, why did? Why are we dealing mostly with younger people, like, why are they acting that way and oh, and everyone's in their feelings? You know that part. However, that's not bad things. They're actually, um, really trying to understand and trying to move ahead. So kind of the same way, didn't you have someone else to talk to? You know? Didn't you have someone to say? You know, even to say to you suck it up, yes, yes, but be, suck it up because of this, suck it up because you can. This is just a moment.
Speaker 1:This is just a moment to frame it for you.
Speaker 2:If you don't have someone to frame it for you, then your reality is that moment and you think that's your future. Right, we need to reposition and give them a future, a future that they could look at, that, that they could aspire to. What's one of the things that I remember, um, being at school and times like why did I do this versus this is because I had something to aspire to. But if you didn't have that to aspire to, what else you're going to do? You're just going to keep on living or a place to sleep and they just say, yeah, yeah, you're trying to aspire to what else are you going to do?
Speaker 1:You're just going to keep on living or a place to sleep, and they just say, yeah, yeah, that's a place to sleep You're trying to aspire to. I don't need some food, right you?
Speaker 2:know, as they say, as a Maslow. I know I was, I'm a great at school, but if your, if your basic needs aren't met, you can't think higher than that. So what?
Speaker 1:I'm hearing is don't prejudge, because you don't know what those experiences are and those people that are in that situation. You may need to take the time to understand them.
Speaker 2:And I would say for that person you know what's that time when you had that difficult, when you had. Most people have had some part in their life that had that. There's something in it.
Speaker 1:All of us have a challenge dealing with that. Most of the time, what I figured out is they don't want it. We don't want to acknowledge that we have that issue, but we all do.
Speaker 2:And they're not not relating. You have to be receptive, you have to be doing it.
Speaker 3:Yes, and I just want to kind of share. Everybody have different experiences as far as in life and everybody. And when you say as far as judging, you know I grew up on a farm. I fought for tobacco farmers, so I could totally. What I'm doing now has totally not related to what I do when I was on the farm.
Speaker 1:Well, it kind of does the hard work that you learn from your parents.
Speaker 3:So, and one of the things that still sticks in my mind, when and I just want to share this one thing when I was working in that group, that facility with the boys, one of my jobs was to teach them the life skills to be self-sufficient adults. So I remember them having a trash can in their room and they were putting the trash all around the trash can, not in the trash can. And then I went and got a trash bag and I was like OK, let's use a trash bag. And one of them said well, why are you using a trash bag? And I was in my mind well, that's the kind of question because everyone needs to put a trash bag in the trash, because that's how you grew up and so they was like I've never seen that before, right, so then it clicked on me.
Speaker 3:They've never had the experience of knowing what the need was. A trash bag gathers the trash, it's just those small things.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:So that those small things so when someone comes and they you know, and just the small trash bag or changing a tire of a car, there's no one there to. If you had no one there to teach you, you don't know the value. So we can't kind of judge. Because I'm sitting there like why wouldn't you know that you need to put a trash can, but then I had to step back. If no one ever taught you the significance of why, then you wouldn't know. So we all got to think about those things. So before we judge people, we got to think about where we came from. And if there's someone is doing something, let's ask why they're doing it versus saying why are you doing that?
Speaker 1:Right. So I guess what I'm hearing is from both of you is don't judge people based on your experience. Expectations, yes, and experiences, yes, all right. All right. So that concludes today's episode. Can I say something real quickly, can you ask me? Yes, you can definitely ask me, I'm open book.
Speaker 2:He was talking about funding or ways to support us. We have our 7th Gala coming up in November and that's Gala is to support us in one of our big events, Actually our biggest event for the year. We're having a theme that's around like queen was it queen charlotte? Yeah the royalty, royalty, uh, theme of that.
Speaker 2:So you're gonna have to dress, you have to dress yes yeah, so, um, it's gonna be a huge fun, but we're looking for people who might be want to be table sponsors, people who might want to support just get tickets. You could do a variety of different things. Of course, it's on our website, which is newvisionyouthservicesincorg, and you can go in and get your tickets and stuff like that, but it's a great way to have fun and support a greater cause of what we're doing, because all the all the funds and everything going to be going back to the organization that we are.
Speaker 1:I apologize. Talk about your social media platforms, where everyone can find you.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're on Facebook.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:So the website wwwnewvisionyouthservicesincorg.
Speaker 3:If you just do a Google, everything will pop up All of our social sites. We're on Twitter, Instagram. We just jumped on Blue Sky, so all the platforms are there. We have LinkedIn. We have several platforms going right now in support. Of course, one of the main things is trying to make up for the cutbacks that we have, so you are able to go into our website and make a donation through many platforms that we have going. Of course, the gala just a random donation in general, and so there's many different ways that you can connect with us. But just Googling just New Vision Youth Services, there's a thousand things that will pop up and ways that you can get involved and support us at many, many different levels.
Speaker 2:And Joe Smith will be our gallant NBA former number one draft pick.
Speaker 1:Where is?
Speaker 2:it going to be held. It's in Chesapeake.
Speaker 3:So it's in the Greenbrier area in Chesapeake and so the location. So it's in the Greenbrier area in Chesapeake. Yeah, Greenbrier area in Chesapeake.
Speaker 2:And so the location is right there. It's a beautiful location, yes, so go on our website.
Speaker 3:The address and the location in Chesapeake is located there where you can purchase your ticket and get the information as far as how to get involved.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I want to make sure we give Joe some credit. He's come back to the area and he's really active in the community. Absolutely. We appreciate him so much. He's been here a lot since he's been here.
Speaker 3:So am I forgetting anything?
Speaker 1:else Like I said this one is special.
Speaker 3:Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be here, absolutely. And it's a lovely place here, and so we want to thank you for letting us to be able to share our work and share our ambition and the challenges that many of the organizations are going through right now.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely so. This is final. Thank you for following us on Listen Up and we'll catch you next time on Listen Up. Yes, thank you. If you enjoyed today's episode, I'm gonna ask you to click on the links below follow, subscribe, become part of the conversation and remember, listen up.
