The Junior League of Pensacola

Issue Area(s): Foster Care, Self-Esteem

Overview

An outgrowth of The Junior League of Pensacola’s Girls to Girls project, which mentored at-risk girls from parts of the Pensacola community with a large concentrations of extreme poverty, the Steppin’ Out program was created to mentor girls who are aging out of the foster care system. 

Community partners

• Agencies like Families First Network of Pensacola, Children’s Home Society of Florida, PACE Center for Girls, Families Count, Families First Network and Children’s Home Society
• Other supporters include Bank of America, West Florida Hospital, Pensacola State College School of Cosmetology, Santa Rosa County Health Department, and Friends of the Saenger

How it works

Steppin’ Out is designed to educate and prepare girls currently in the foster care system who are quickly approaching the time when they will become physically and financially independent individuals. In frequent interactive sessions with the girls presented by community leaders in their respective fields (banking, education, health care, etc.), Steppin’ Out addresses challenges like applying for jobs and college, personal finance, health, etiquette, and arts and culture. Junior League of Pensacola members are fully involved in every element of the program.

What’s the impact?

Highly effective coordination with a wide range of community partners and agencies has made Steppin’ Out a model for other organizations focused on foster care and aging out issues. At the same time, the program has also served as a conduit for The Junior League of Pensacola’s done-in-a-day member initiatives as well as direct member involvement in dealing, through their social workers, with the problems faced by individual girls and their foster families.