Announcing November Grant Recipients

Shine Together’s (Shine) mission is to create opportunities for economic mobility for two generations, by helping young mothers advance their education, build life and career skills, and nurture their child’s positive development. We believe that education is the key to maximizing each person’s potential and making communities strong.

Shine partners with approximately 120 young families in three key high poverty communities (San Jose, Sacramento, and Fresno). Funding from Impact Funding Solutions will support Shine’s program in San Jose, serving approximately 60 young families.

Research shows teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty, depend on public assistance and drop out of high school. Almost half of all teen mothers began receiving welfare within five years of the birth of their first child and 52% of all mothers on welfare had their first child as a teenager.https://www.factforward.org/news/high-costs-teen-pregnancy. Perpetuating the cycle of poverty, teen mothers are at high risk for not finishing their high school education or pursuing post-secondary education. Nationwide, only about half of young women who gave birth as teens received a high school diploma, compared to 90% of those who did not have a child. And, less than 2% of teen mothers earn a college degree by age 30.https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-teen-pregnancy

Shine Together’s (Shine) two-generation approach provides young moms with the support needed to:
· complete high school and post-secondary education,
· develop the skills to nurture their child’s positive development
· enhance their financial literacy
· improve health and wellness for themselves and their child