Picture growing up with parental abandonment and no family support, in and out of foster care and group homes facing countless deeds of trauma. Imagine turning 18 and your gift was getting kicked out on your birthday to navigate adulthood with no stable place to sleep, no access to basic resources, and cant get a job because you lack experience all while the weight of the world crushes your spirit. What about chronic homelessness and poor choices fueled by survival instincts leading to recidivism after incarceration.
These stories aren’t just statistics - they’re lived experiences of our founding members and the youth we serve. From our Mentors to the CEO, we've all battled through some of these same barriers and know what it feels like to be trapped by circumstance.
Birdhouse Fly Away exists because we know firsthand the power of having someone believe in you. Over the last decade, we’ve collectively worked with more than 1,000 underserved and overlooked youth in Sacramento, empowering them with the very tools that transformed our own lives - mentorship, workforce development, life skills, housing, and holistic support. We’re here to disrupt generational cycles of circumstantial failure for our young people dealing with barriers to success, and give them not just a chance to survive but thrive.
Your support this Big Day of Giving will help us expand three critical initiatives that directly uplift and equip our youth for lasting success.
1. Stipends for Life Skills, Ready-to-Rent, and Work Readiness Workshops
Our workshops give young people essential tools to achieve independence and long-term stability. From budgeting and understanding rental agreements to interview preparation and job success tips, these sessions build practical knowledge for real-life challenges. We provide $25 stipends for each workshop to help youth further engage in these crucial topics. Your support can help us continue empowering participants with critical skills:
$25: Funds one workshop stipend for a youth participant to gain valuable life and job readiness skills
2. Equip Young Entrepreneurs for Success
With your help, we can remove barriers to workforce success: Our REPEAT Entrepreneur Workforce Development program uses on the job mentorship to empower youth aged 18-26 with hands-on job training in residential maintenance and improvement, carpentry, automotive, culinary, and more entrepreneurial endeavors. Every participant receives; full uniform, safety equipment, transportation assistance and lunch for every shift to work confidently and safely.
$35: Covers meals and transportation for one work shift.
$50: Provides a youth entrepreneur with Full uniform and safety equipment.
3. Emergency Assistance for Youth in Crisis
Housing instability is one of the most significant barriers our participants face. Without a safe place to sleep, it’s nearly impossible to focus on employment or education. We’re working to secure our AVIARY, a stable housing community for our program and participants in need, but until then, we need resources to provide temporary emergency support, like shelter and hygiene supplies.
$20: Provides a hygiene kit with essentials like soap, toothpaste, and deodorant.
$50: Covers a night of emergency shelter in a motel.
Your gift is more than a donation - it’s a lifeline. It’s the encouragement that says, “I believe in you,” and the resource that makes progress possible.
Programs like Birdhouse changed our lives, and with your partnership, we’ll change countless more. Together, we can equip our young people to break free from barriers and fly toward success.
Will you help us this Big Day of Giving?
Giving Activity
Mission
At Birdhouse Fly Away, our mission is to disrupt generational sequences of circumstantial failure for underserved young people and bring untapped potential to heights. By integrating life skills education, financial literacy, paid job experience with mentorship and holistic supportive services, we aim to break down barriers and provide young people with the tools they need to build brighter futures.
Needs
Birdhouse is seeking an engaged board, sustainable funding, and dedicated partners to help us grow and fulfill our mission.
We need a passionate and engaged board to guide our strategic direction, secure funding to support our initiatives around supportive services, emergency housing resources, and workforce development and develop partnerships with local organizations and businesses to expand opportunities for our participants. With these, we can make a powerful impact by providing young people facing housing instability and workforce barriers with the tools they need to achieve lasting stability and success.
Equity Statement
At Birdhouse, we believe that every young person, regardless of background, race, socioeconomic status, gender, or life experiences, deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Our mission is rooted in creating an inclusive and equitable environment where youth from all walks of life are empowered, supported, and celebrated.
We acknowledge the systemic barriers that have historically marginalized and limited access to resources, education, and economic opportunities for young people, particularly those from underserved communities. At Birdhouse, we are committed to actively dismantling these barriers by providing resources, support, and pathways forward that address the unique needs of each individual we serve.
Equity is woven into everything we do, as it is one of our core values, from our program design to our partnerships and internal practices. We strive to foster a culture of respect, belonging, and understanding within our organization, ensuring that every voice is heard and valued. Our goal is to break cycles of poverty and rend generational sequences of circumstantial failure by opening the mindsets of young people and bring untapped potential to heights. We aim to dismantle systematic based living and thinking by empowering and recharging the minds of participants through various points of contact and support while centering our work around the principles of equity, inclusion, and justice.
As we grow and evolve, Birdhouse will remain committed to advocating for and supporting equitable access to housing, employment, education, and life skills for our youth. In the end, feeding them a skill set they develop to recognize so that they may become self-sufficient and on a direct flight to upward mobility in whichever is in their path. We envision a world where all young people are empowered to overcome barriers and achieve their dreams, and we will continue working tirelessly to make that vision a reality.