Young Fellows Discuss Building Assets at 2010 CFED Conference
"These young people have made me understand why building assets for youth aging out of foster care is so important," remarked a participant at the 2010 CFED Assets Learning Conference in Washington, DC. On September 22-24, 2010, four Young Fellows from the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative presented at the Conference and discussed how building assets has helped them as they begin to make the transition from foster care to successful adulthood.
Young Fellows are a group of young people from Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative sites that provide valuable youth input regarding the implementation of Initiative strategies and policy goals. They are nominated by their sites and selected by the Initiative based on leadership potential and community involvement.
The Young Fellows attending the Conference included Crystal Williams, Atlanta, Georgia; Cameron Anderson, Tampa, Florida; Sixto Cancel, Bridgeport, CT; and Kimberly Velasquez, Providence, Rhode Island.
While the Young Fellows were hoping to gain some insights into the national asset building efforts and share their experiences as matched savings account holders, they received that and a whole lot more.
Sixto Cancel and Cameron Anderson participated in a plenary session that included Father Larry Snyder, President of Catholic Charities USA; José Cisneros, Treasurer of the City and County of San Francisco; and Sterling Speirn, President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Brandee McHale, Chief Operating Officer for the Citi Foundation had a conversation with Cameron and Sixto who relayed their experiences as savers and purchasers of assets to help them create a more financially secure future.
The Young Fellows attended a press conference on Capitol Hill sponsored by Fostering Media Connections that addressed "Back to School, Back to Instability." They had the opportunity to listen to Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Representative Michele Bachmann (R-MN), and learn about the efforts underway to address the struggles of youth in foster care as well as its impact on their education.
In addition to attending workshops, the Young Fellows were paired with fellow innovators working to expand economic opportunities in an Innovation Marketplace. They assisted the Fellows in networking with other attendees of the conference and teaching them about their innovative efforts.
During Capitol Hill visits, Sixto Cancel met with his congressman, Representative Jim Himes from Bridgeport, CT. Sixto provided education to the Congressman on the importance of building assets for youth aging out of foster care. The following day, Congressman Himes announced that we would co-sponsor the Savings for Working Families Act.
The CFED Assets Learning Conference was described by Crystal Williams as a "life- changing event," however, in reality, it was the dedication and commitment of these four young people who made such an impact on those who met them.
Click here to read the CFED President's 2010 Report, with the Young Fellows featured on page 6.
