TEMPO named 2012 Social Innovator!
It's sure to be an exciting year for Wayside Youth & Family's TEMPO Young Adult Resource Center and its Program Director Yolanda Ortiz, recently named one of six 2012 Social Innovators by Root Cause last night.
TEMPO received the award for the grant track funded by the Sudbury Foundation entitled "At-Risk Youth in MetroWest: Providing Adult Guidance and Support." The Foundation wanted to offer this unique grant opportunity to a worthy local nonprofit.
After a competitive application process, Tempo earned the prestigious grant which includes a $10,000 cash award and and estimated $100,000 in in-kind technical support. Under the guidance of the savvy Social Innovation Forum staff, Tempo and Ortiz will work on an array of areas to help strengthen and sustain the five-year-old Framingham program.
TEMPO was established in collaboration with Advocates, the South Middlesex Opportunity Council and the Future Skills Institute to meet the challenges faced by young adults between the ages of 17 and 24 who are leaving state custody and thus lose health care, housing, educational support and mental health services. Tempo offers resources for all young adults, without eligibility restrictions, whether for help with one specific issue or for complex, interrelated goals such as preparing for employment, completing probation, getting behavioral health treatment, or securing a stable place to live.
Congratulations to TEMPO!
Congratulations also go to the five other 2012 Social Innovators: Cooking Matters, program of Share our Strength; the LGBT Aging Project; WorkExpress, a program of Father Bill’s & Mainspring; Science Club for Girls, and InnerCity Weightlifting.
Get ready for a fabulous experience!
Photo courtesy of Nyloin