What Is TWT Center and Why Does It Matter?
Expand Your Horizons, Achieve, Succeed
A New Hope for Youth Aging Out of Foster Care
TWT Center
The acronym TWT stands for Transitional Workforce Training, an innovative project that aims to empower young adults aging out of foster care and ease their transition to adulthood and independence.
The word, “center,” refers to the concept of creating jobs within a vocational manufacturing center structure. This means that the TWT Center will not only offer training in manufacturing skills, but also provide employment opportunities for young adults who complete the program.
TWT Center is no different from any other successful enterprise built on sustainability and competitiveness. TWT Center, a fully functional operation, will achieve profitable growth and financial sustainability by generating income through subcontracted assembly work, and through the manufacture and sale of proprietary products.
TWT Center also supports these young adults with mentoring, counseling, and life skills education. TWT Center is a project of American Outreach Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to creating a community where everyone belongs, no matter their circumstance.
Is TWT Center a Separate Nonprofit Organization?
No. TWT Center is an exciting new initiative from American Outreach Foundation (AOF) that extends its outreach to a new demographic - a group of young people with a critical unmet need.
American Outreach Foundation, with its rich history of helping underserved individuals in need, saw an opportunity and launched the TWT Center, which aligns perfectly with AOF’s mission: to serve the unmet needs of those dealing with any kind of impairment or situational challenge.
Although TWT Center is different from AOF’s established flagship programs in content and scope, it shares the same core purpose of making people happy and is run and managed by AOF under the same EIN number: 26-0427467.
Over time, the AOF’s signature program - Donate/Need a Power Chair - will be fully integrated into the TWT Center’s curriculum. TWT participants will acquire marketable skills and gain on-the-job experience as they pick up, refurbish, and donate powerchairs and scooters to veterans, low-income families, and seniors with disabilities.
Empowering youth beyond foster care with a chance to make a positive difference and create a more promising tomorrow
TWT Center, Why Does It Matter?
Youth exiting the foster care system at 18 years of age are thrust into an unforgiving world, often lacking the skills and networks they need to be successful. AOF decided to do something bold to address this challenge. Thus was born the Transitional Workforce Training Initiative - TWT Center.
TWT Center matters because it empowers these youth to overcome the formidable challenges they face after leaving the foster care system. These challenges, left unaddressed, often result in unemployment, homelessness, incarceration, unwanted pregnancies, and mental health issues.
TWT Center helps this target group transition to adulthood and find meaningful employment. Participation also promotes a sense of belonging and purpose with a real chance to make a difference in the lives of others.
TWT Center matters because it offers these young adults important vocational training, mentoring, counseling, life skills education, social and emotional competence, and career readiness.
Benefits of TWT Center:
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Vocational training in manufacturing skills
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Mentoring and coaching by experienced professionals
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Career development and job placement assistance
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Personal and financial literacy education
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Social and emotional support
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A sense of belonging and purpose
TWT Center aims to empower the youth to become independent, productive, and happy adults who can contribute to society.
Research shows that positive youth development programs can have positive effects on academic achievement, civic engagement, health behaviors, and social competence.
TWT Center - Impact on the Coachella Valley
TWT Center can help:
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Reduce unemployment and increase the Coachella Valley’s income level. The area’s fairly strong economy belies the fact that it has a higher rate of income and wealth inequality than the County in which it resides.
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Diversify the Coachella Valley’s economy, which relies heavily on just a few key industries, such as tourism, agriculture, healthcare, and real estate development. TWT Center would create jobs in manufacturing, sales, and marketing, that are less vulnerable to seasonal fluctuations and external shocks.
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Improve the social and human capital of the Coachella Valley, which has a much older population than Riverside County and a lower educational attainment than the State of California.
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Expand Coachella Valley’s community and civic engagement - highlighting its diverse and vibrant culture - and promote a sense of belonging and empowerment for the target participants, who often lack family support and connections with caring adults.
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Create jobs and facilitate direction among other local job seekers, as well. This could include veterans, single parents, at-risk youngsters, re-entry workers 55+, and disabled individuals.
How Can You Help?
TWT Center relies on the generosity and support of donors, sponsors, volunteers, and partners to carry out its mission.
You can help TWT Center by:
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Donating money or equipment to fund the program and its necessary resources
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Sponsoring a youth to cover the TWT apprenticeship costs of training and materials
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Volunteering your time or skills to mentor, coach, or teach the youth
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Partnering with TWT Centers to offer employment opportunities or services to the graduates
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Spreading the word about TWT Centers and its impact on social media or in your community
We invite you to join the TWT Centers' family of major donors! Please consider a heartfelt generous gift to support TWT Center.