If you’ve been a supporter of Fred Finch Youth & Family Services for any length of time, it is likely that you know that our agency was founded as an orphanage in 1891.
Throughout the past 130 years Fred Finch has expanded, innovated, and developed, such that more than 5,600 people were served by our agency in 2021.
Fred Finch served families affected by autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, helping them to face the daily challenges of life with neurodivergence. In-home counseling services worked with children and adolescents facing immense trauma and anxiety, many of them recent immigrants. Our residential programs and non-public schools in Oakland and San Diego created supportive, therapeutic environments for youth facing mental health challenges and developmental disabilities at the same time. Our agency facilitated child and family team meetings for young people who have found themselves involved in the juvenile justice and dependency systems, finding the natural supports in their homes and communities to help them rebuild and find healthier patterns. And former foster youth live in studio apartments on the campus where that single barn once stood, not simply provided with housing but with all-around support, including therapy, psychiatric support, guidance on finding and keeping employment, and parenting classes.
Together, we now approach the end of our second year living through this pandemic. Outside of the expansive public health crisis begotten by COVID-19, the last few years have been marked by economic instability, employment crises, climate catastrophes, major political tumult, and a long-overdue racial reckoning in our nation. None of us are immune to the stressors of this environment. At Fred Finch, however, we continue to do as we always do, and always will- to find the most vulnerable children, youth, and families in need of a little extra support, and to help them on their pathways to healing. We are so proud of our board, our staff, and our participants, who exemplify the power of community in collective support. Our array of services, and our capacity to provide them across language, culture, and circumstance, only continues to grow.
We are so thankful for your support, and we invite you to continue to be a part of the Fred Finch story of hope and healing. Happy Holidays!
For more information on our work at Fred Finch Youth & Family Services, check out our website www.fredfinch.org
