Vita Nova, one of the few nonprofits directly helping older foster and homeless youth in Palm Beach County with supportive living services, hosted a drive-in graduation ceremony on July 2 at the Vita Nova Village in West Palm Beach.
This special graduation event celebrated 18 youths Vita Nova serves. Some of these youths graduated high school, others obtained their GED and some earned their college degrees. All of them, however, set goals and achieved them after personal challenges that many their age never have to experience.
During this exciting event, each of the youths were treated to a professional photo shoot in their cap and gown, and received a personalized gift basket, Visa gift card and a graduation cake. They also received handwritten graduation cards from members of the community.
Vita Nova helps teens leaving foster care and homeless youth in the community find safe places to live, succeed in school and obtain their first jobs. Through a wide array of unique programs and services provided by Vita Nova, young adults ages 18 to 25 receive a stable, nurturing environment that everyone deserves.
“The number of homeless youths who need our services in Palm Beach County is massive, and this is, in a word, intolerable,” Vita Nova CEO Jeff DeMario said. “We at Vita Nova believe that no kid should be without a home, ever. As a community, we must do everything we can to help homeless youth in our community, and former foster children shift successfully into adulthood, enabling them to become happy, productive and successful adults.”
Vita Nova means “new life” in Latin and was founded by Father Leo Armbrust, a man who believed that foster youth deserved a better quality of care. Through the efforts of the Vita Nova team members, its volunteers and its benefactors, older foster and homeless youth are given the opportunity to lead lives characterized by independence, self-determination, and personal responsibility.
To learn more about Vita Nova, or to donate, visit www.vitanovainc.org or call (561) 689-0035.
