The John P. Previti Memorial Foundation Donates $25,000 to Building Bright Futures
The John P. Previti Memorial Foundation funds programs that support at-risk youth, community building and the fight against substance abuse. Since its formation in 2009, the John P. Previti Memorial Foundation has donated more than $2.4 million to nonprofit organizations. Among those organizations is the Hope through Housing Foundation, which recently received $25,000 from the Foundation for its Building Bright Futures program.
Through its Building Bright Futures program, which helps children and teens achieve success in school and beyond, Hope through Housing strives to break the generational cycle of poverty. Building Bright Futures has three parts: after-school programs, teen initiatives, and a scholarship fund.
The established after-school program takes place at 32 residential locations across Southern California. Seeing its success but recognizing that the program wasn’t serving teenagers, Hope through Housing issued a survey to the residents it serves. The survey revealed that most teens aren’t doing things focused on schoolwork outside of school hours, so Hope through Housing launched its Teen Club in the summer of 2020 amid the pandemic.
“This is where funding from the Previti Foundation really helped,” said Hope through Housing Director of Development Alyssa Cotter.
“The Teen Club became a great resource for teens during the pandemic, providing a safe space for them to engage, socialize, and support one another during this critical time. We found that our teens had become very isolated because of distance learning and other mandates that had been put in place because of the pandemic. The Teen Club promoted open communication and gave our teens a support system and the opportunity to connect with others in the community where they lived.”
The Teen Club offers both life and social skills. Funding from donors like the John P. Previti Memorial Foundation will make it possible for Hope through Housing to expand the program to additional sites in the future.
“With the generous support of foundations during this past year, we were able to add new or expand existing programming to address the needs of our children and teens, this includes growing our scholarship fund to serve more high school graduates and adult learners,” added Cotter.
Last year, Hope through Housing was able to award 15-20 scholarships to National CORE residents pursuing a certificate or degree from a reputable institution. Scholarships range from $500 to $1,000 and can be used to offset direct educational costs, such as textbooks and travel, not covered by other financial aid.
In 2020, the organization awarded $10,000 in scholarships and will be doubling that amount in 2021. This year’s scholarship recipients will be announced in May.
In addition to supporting youth through its Building Bright Futures program, Hope through Housing supports seniors and at-risk populations through its Pathways to Economic Empowerment, Connections to Care, and upcoming Unlocking Opportunities pillars.
“We are proud of the work Hope through Housing does to support the most vulnerable populations across Southern California every day and especially this past year when people needed it the most,” said Jim Previti, founder of the John P. Previti Memorial Foundation.
During the pandemic when many organizations had to step back, Hope through Housing stepped up by distributing more than 92,000 meals to children, families and seniors, providing more than 12,500 hours to school-aged youth, providing more than 25,000 wellness calls and 16,600 senior health and wellness services and much more.
“We definitely stepped up in services by serving the most residents than we ever have before,” said Cotter.
To learn more about Hope through Housing, visit https://hthf.org/.
About John P. Previti Memorial Foundation
The John P. Previti Memorial Foundation is a nonprofit organization with deep roots in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. It dedicates itself to improving the quality of life for at-risk youth through programs of education, advocacy and recovery. By supporting and inspiring people to overcome adversity and by teaming with local charities, the foundation makes a real, lasting impact on the health and vitality of communities. To learn more, visit previtimemorialfoundation.org.