The Security Service Charitable Foundation is helping THRU Project assist youth who are transitioning out of the foster care system with a $5,000 donation. The funds will provide ride-share services to attend THRU Project workshops and events. As a mentoring program for youth in the San Antonio area who have aged out of the foster care system, THRU Project provides life skills workshops that allow foster and former foster youth to move into adulthood successfully.
“Aging out of foster care is a scary time for youth,” said Elaine Andries Hartle, CEO for THRU Project. “They must find a job and a place to live, but many don’t have the means to purchase a car or insurance. Having partners like the Security Service Charitable Foundation allows us to help more young adults making this transition to have happier and more successful lives.”
In addition to mentoring, THRU Project provides semester bus passes, emergency or job-related funding, cell phone service, life-skills workshops, and housing. Rather than duplicating existing services, they work with private and state agencies to create a network of services vital to the success of youth, ensuring that their needs are met. They accomplish these goals with the help of their staff, board members, and 300+ volunteers. Currently THRU Project serves 117 youth and since its inception, they have served more than 270 young adults in San Antonio and surrounding areas.
“Organizations like THRU Project are vital to the success of our communities and the children who will lead us in the future,” said Tom Martin, THRU Project board member and executive vice president and chief financial officer for Security Service Federal Credit Union. “As the only mentor program in Texas specifically geared toward the unique needs and challenges of foster youth as they transition from the foster care system, they fill a critical need in our community.”
The Security Service Charitable Foundation helps further Security Service Federal Credit Union’s corporate goal of community service by contributing to deserving organizations and causes in the credit union's market areas that better the community and help to improve the quality of life.