Help Navy Seals Mentor Foster Youth

Kickstart the year by supporting Foster Warriors™, where American heroes, including former US Navy SEALS, provide life-changing mentorship to America's forgotten youth. Your contribution fuels our 24-Hour Challenge, a transformative experience for foster youth, paving their path to resilience, confidence, and success.

Help us reach our funding goal!

Our Mission

Foster Warriors™ creates a community of support pairing former Navy SEALS and their allies with Foster Youth to uncover their hidden talents and realize full potential.

24 HOURS OF HIKINg a wilderness loop

COVERING  15+ MILES, Led by NAVY SEALS

Build attributes of self-esteem, grit, resilience, accountability, authenticity

The start of a lifetime bond of trust and mentorship

Life lessons taught BY NAVY SEALS

What is the 24-Hour Challenge?

Foster Warriors™ is centered on empowering foster youth aging out of the foster system through mentorship and coaching provided by former Navy SEALS and their allies. The aim is to help these young adults become resilient, confident, and skilled in managing uncertainty, while also discovering and nurturing their hidden talents in various fields such as business, arts, and athletics. It all begins with a rigorous 24-hour challenge, followed by mentorship programs, with a focus on building self-worth and positivity, ultimately guiding these youths toward becoming productive and successful adults.

A one-of-a kind experience

Embark on a transformative journey with Foster Warriors™ 24-Hour Challenge. Ten to twenty selected foster youth will trek alongside US Navy SEALS from dawn to dawn, covering 15 - 20 miles.  The hike includes practical learning sessions and one one-on-one mentorship to create pathways to positivity. This experience instills self-esteem, grit, and resilience, fostering a bond of trust and mentorship. It's a path to realizing one's worth and potential for success.

Donations

Your financial contributions help us to

Organize the Next 24-Hour Challenge

Your donations are crucial in planning and executing our subsequent challenges, providing foster youth with an unparalleled experience of growth and mentorship.

Create Mentorship Opportunities Between Veterans & Foster Youth

Your support enables us to build bridges between veterans and foster youth, facilitating valuable mentorship relationships that nurture potential and foster positive change.

Fund Initiatives Directly Impacting Foster Youth

Every contribution goes towards initiatives that make a real difference in the lives of foster youth and veterans alike, helping foster youth that aged out of the system to unlock their potential and build a brighter future plus provides veterans with a mission and purpose.

Why they matter

Foster Youth

In California alone, over 4,500 youths age out of foster care annually, stepping into adulthood unprepared. A startling majority report zero earnings in the initial 4 years after exiting foster care, with a significant risk of homelessness and limited educational achievements. Foster Warriors™ is committed to reversing these trends by unlocking the immense potential hidden in these young adults.

4.5K
Age out of foster system yeary
30%
Become homeless
24%
Have no highschool diploma or GED
$0
Avg. reported wages, first 5 years out of system
How we help

Bridging the Gap

Foster Warriors™ bridges the gap for youth aging out of the foster system by pairing them with experienced mentors, including veterans, proven business , arts, and community leaders. Our programs focus on building life skills, boosting self-confidence, and uncovering hidden talents, setting these young adults on a path to success.

Belief in self
Uncover Goals
Uncover Goals
Mental toughness
Stamina
Apply for challenge
Why they matter

Our Veterans

Veterans, having dedicated their lives to service, often struggle to find meaningful roles post-service. Foster Warriors™ offers these heroes a new mission – mentoring foster youth. This not only aids the youth but also provides veterans with a renewed sense of purpose and an opportunity to apply their skills for a noble cause.

33K
Suicides since 9-11
26%

Experience homelessness after service

How We Help

A New Mission for Veterans

Mission and Purpose. Being in service to people that need what we can offer.  The foster kids aging out of the program can use the tools that veterans have had to employ throughout years of service, in training and combat, to adapt and overcome life's toughest challenges, both physical and mental.  Often when veterans transition out of the military, they struggle with how to put to use, outside the military, all the skills they have learned while in uniform.  The Foster Warrior organization, and events like The Mission I'm Possible 24-hour challenge, enable us to share these critical skills with an underserved demographic that desperately needs these skills.  Additionally, the mentorship opportunity gives veterans connection with people who need them now and will continue to need them in the future. The opportunity to be of continued service is a lifeline, a true honor and privilege and a noble cause, that serves the mutual purpose of giving both veterans and Foster Warriors™ meaning and purpose.

NEW HOPE
SENSE OF PURPOSE
GAIN COMMUNITY
IMPACT OTHER FOR GOOD
SPREAD JOY
How it works

Becoming a Foster Warrior™

01.

Mentors and Foster Youth Complete The 24-Hour Challenge

Expect to be challenged, to learn, and to grow! This program is designed to encourage participants to push beyond self-imposed physical and mental limits within a structured and safe environment, with reasonable, achievable goals. Mentors will be paired with foster youth participants, and over 24 hours we will journey together within an experiential learning framework, using the beautiful Pacific Palisades backdrop and hiking along the trails of Temescal Canyon as we learn from each other and develop a whole new set of skills. This event will require moderate physical effort and follows a 'crawl, walk, run' approach as participants move throughout a full cycle of day and night, with trail hikes separated by rest intervals and practical learning sessions. The program is designed to ensure everyone who has the will to finish will be successful! Food, water, and other support/sustenance needs to keep everyone going will be provided. Expect to experience a myriad of emotions and physical discomfort; we will all be tired and perhaps cold, wet...or hot depending on the weather. But also expect to finish the challenge with a sense of accomplishment, with new knowledge, new friends, and ideally new inner strength to achieve things beyond what you might have thought was possible!

02.

Continued contact: a network of community and mentorship

Upon completion of the 24-hour challenge, the Foster Warrior community provides ongoing support and guidance, ensuring that the bonds formed and lessons learned have a lasting impact.

03.

Passing it on: become a master of uncertainty

Graduates of the program are encouraged to share their journey, helping to inspire and guide new participants, thus perpetuating a cycle of growth and empowerment.  They have the option to become "mentors in training" for the next Foster Warriors™ 24-hour challenge.  They will receive next level mentor training from the US Navy SEALS and their allies.

Our Impact

Hear from the class of 23'

Don't just take our word for it, listen to what participants of The 24-Hour Challenge have to say about their experience

Our Volunteers

Navy SEALS and their allies

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At Foster Warriors™, our mentors, including former US Navy SEALS and their allies, are the backbone of our program. These mentors are individuals who have successfully completed the Foster Warrior(TM) 24-Hour Challenge themselves, embodying resilience, leadership, and empathy. They are carefully vetted by our US Navy SEAL board members, ensuring that only the most dedicated and capable individuals guide our foster youth. These mentors come from diverse backgrounds but share a common commitment to service and empowerment. They include exceptional members of the community, leaders in various fields, and those who have demonstrated a profound ability to inspire others. Our mentors undergo specialized training provided by Foster Warriors™, equipping them with the tools and knowledge to effectively support and guide foster youth. The role of a Foster Warrior(TM) mentor is not just to lead the 24-Hour Challenge but to be a consistent figure in the lives of these young adults. They offer guidance, support, and a listening ear, helping foster youths to navigate life's challenges and seize opportunities for growth and success. This mentorship extends beyond the challenge, fostering long-term relationships that can significantly impact the lives of both the mentors and the mentees.

Chuck Rubac
Navy SEAL, Mentor
Jon Macaskill
Navy SEAL, Mentor
Leif Mollo
Navy SEAL, Mentor

Interested in becoming a mentor?

We use our network of professional organizations and non-profits to find vetted mentors. If you areinterested in applying and think you would be a good fit. Click below.

OUR PARTNERS

ArticleS & RESOURCES

We're working hard to make a difference

Category
5 min read
Foster Warriors™ “uncover their hidden Van Gogh's” with a visit to the art studio of world-renowned painter/sculptor Paulin Baron Paris
Foster Warriors™ alumni and mentors had the privilege of attending a day of art at the Los Angeles, CA studio of world-renowned, multi-disciplinary French artist Paulin Baron Paris
Category
5 min read
Foster Warriors™ Experience Calm From Their Visit With Wild Mustang Horses Rescued at Rugged Ranch
Foster Warriors™ youth experience the calming and healing benefits of spending a day with rescued wild mustangs and learn about the Wild Beauty Foundation
Category
5 min read
Foster Warriors™ Gain Access to Transcendental Meditation to Help Heal from Trauma.
Foster youth who join the Foster Warriors™ program can learn Transcendental Meditation through the David Lynch Foundation, helping achieve general peace and well-being and heal from past trauma.
Category
5 min read
Reflections on Leadership: An interview with Leif Mollo, Navy SEAL
Foster Warrior™ Board Member shares his thoughts on leadership experience through an interview with his high school alma mater magazine.
Category
5 min read
Now Foster Youth Have a Choice: Wait Until They're 86 Like Anthony Hopkins or Get Started Living Now
Foster youth who commit to personal growth and mastering uncertainty through the Foster Warriors™ organization significantly enhance their professional trajectories, embracing a life philosophy of positivity and resilience.

Impact the life of a Foster Youth today

Start the new year off with a contribution to Foster Warriors™. You’ll fund the mentorship of America’s forgotten youth by real American heroes through our transformational 24 Hour Challenge