What is a CYC Supporter?
California Youth Connection (CYC) Supporters are essential to the success of CYC. They are adult volunteers who give their time to help CYC youth work to improve the lives of other foster children. Supporters play a truly unique role in CYC because it is a youth run organization. Though CYC youth make the decisions, they work in partnership with Supporters to achieve CYC's goals.

CYC Needs Volunteers Who:

• Care about foster youth.
• Can relate to youth.
• Can guide and advise youth while refraining from taking control.
• Are willing to let youth learn from their own mistakes.

What are the Responsibilities of a CYC Supporter?

• Attend local CYC chapter meetings. At a chapter meeting, Supporters are available to the youth as a resource for information or guidance. Youth may ask Supporters to help explain an issue or to advise them on how to research a topic. Though the youth are expected to do the legwork in sustaining CYC, Supporters help them learn to accomplish unfamiliar tasks.
• Provide transportation for youth to attend meetings and events.
• Supervise and accompany youth to CYC statewide conferences (2 per year) and the Day at the Capitol in Sacramento.
• Support youth in advocacy, writing letters, planning projects, organizing events, and fundraising.

How do I become a CYC Supporter?

• Contact your local CYC chapter, and request information to attend the chapter meetings. (If you do not know if you have a local CYC chapter, you can contact the regional offices: Northern: 415-442-5060 Southern: 213-489-0720) 
• Attend several meetings, and decide if this is something you want to do. 
• If so, inform the chapter and your local Outreach Coordinator that you are interested in becoming an Adult Supporter.
• The Outreach Coordinator will send you an Adult Supporter Application, Live Scan request form, and a list of required documents.
• The chapter members will then interview you. If the members choose you and approve for you to become one of their Supporters, you must attend a certification training to become a Certified CYC Supporter.

2009 Supporter Training Dates:

TBD

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