Programs
Programs
JOB TRAINING
We provide job skills training, housing, and food while hosting events to raise awareness about the critical need for foster care, adoption, and mentoring. WHALER’s job training program offers classes in financial literacy, life skills training, and home management.
Financial literacy classes provide essential knowledge and skills necessary to navigate older teens and young adults’ personal finances effectively, empowering them to make informed decisions and lay a strong foundation for their financial future. Students learn banking, business, budgeting, managing expenses, understanding credit and debt, saving and investing, and making informed financial decisions for long-term stability and success.
Housing
Housing is available for young adults 18 and older who have completed our one of our job training programs and matched with a job or working full-time.
FAM Repairs is a hands-on job training program that provides young adults (ages 18-25) the opportunity to work on various household projects. Students are supervised by licensed professionals and this program includes a certificate of completion.
Food/Meals
Food and meals are provided to young adults in our homes. Students in the culinary arts program also support our communities by creating and donating meals.
Hattie’s Birthday Wishes, inspired by Hattie, the founder’s beloved grandmother, is the best-kept secret of FAMILY Arts. This initiative honors grandmothers who always have something special waiting for their grandchildren. We plan and host free birthday parties for foster children aged 6 to 12.
FAM Treats
FAM Treats is our culinary arts job training class for youth (ages 14-25). These young people have an interest in a career in the food and/or hospitality industry. Classes are in-person and virtual. This is a 12 week course with on-going options at the conclusion of graduation. Students have the opportunity to show off their skills catering special events or community activities.
Mentoring Meals
This program was born from the inspiration of a former foster youth in Washington, DC who ascended to a leadership position in a utility company. Arriving in his chauffeured limousine to address students in our culinary arts job training class, he surprised us all with his humility. Shedding his tailored suit jacket, loosening his silk tie, removing his custom-made cufflinks, and rolling up his sleeves, he donned an apron and joined our students in the kitchen. Together, they cooked, laughed, and shared stories. After the meal was prepared, he sat down to dine with the students, sparking the idea for Mentoring Meals.
This initiative invites high-level professionals to share a meal with students, discussing their careers and the paths to their success in an informal and engaging setting. Conversations are often recorded and aired on our YouTube channel under FAMversations or used as a story in Youth News production.
FAM on Stage
This 12-week preforming arts job training class offers participants the opportunity to create and perform. Youth with an interest in performing: dance, music, comedy, theater, vocals or visual arts. This program also includes the business, marketing, sales, and management side of such programming. Students learn from top professionals in the industry. These individuals write, produce, direct, and perform the shows that they create. At the conclusion of this course students receive a certificate and often continue forward in their studies.
FAM Cares
This media arts on-going job training class was inspired by Oprah Winfrey the media mogul and a former kinship care youth. This program teaches youth job skills in publishing print/internet, broadcast, and marketing. The emphasis is placed on working with our monthly magazine, radio/television station and social media shows.
