For Immediate Release

January 25, 2010

Contact:

Christine Driscoll

Executive Director

Care Plus Foundation, Inc.

(201) 986-5070

christined@careplusnj.org

Care Plus NJ’s Clients Strive For Independence

Paramus NJ

Meet Aaron.  Today he is a twenty-one year old young man residing independently in an apartment in downtown Montclair and living his dream of becoming a personal trainer.  However, two years ago Aaron living situation and life plans were uncertain as he aged out of the NJ Division of Youth and Family Services children's foster care system.  He had no place to call home and no support to help him turn his dream of becoming a personal trainer into reality. 

Aaron grew up in foster care in New Jersey and although he made many connections with foster parents throughout adolescence, he was never formally adopted leaving him without any permanency.  He began working on his transitional living plan at age nineteen and that is when he discovered STRIVE for Independence.

Care Plus NJ’s Strive for Independence Program offers stable, transitional housing for youth that have aged out of the foster care system.  The program empowers these youth by providing the tools and resources they need to integrate into their communities as independent, self-sufficient adults and to reach their fullest potential.  Strive teaches life skills like money management, and provides links to mentoring, job training, and college preparation.

Aaron came to Strive seeking supportive housing while he obtained his G.E.D.  Within four months of enrolling in Strive, this highly motivated young man obtained his high school diploma AND a New Jersey state bartender’s license, which he used to secure part-time employment.  His long term goal was to pursue a career as a personal trainer but he could not afford the classes necessary to obtain the licensing.  A scholarship through the Care Plus Foundation provided the funds needed and he successfully completed the licensing program. 

Today Aaron is doing the work he loves as a personal trainer and developing a client base that covers three counties in northern New Jersey.  “I really enjoy sharing my knowledge of personal training with individuals looking to increase their level of physical fitness” he says. "It would have never been possible without the support of Care Plus NJ."  

For more information about the Strive for Independence Program or to find out how you can help, contact Care Plus NJ at Foundation@careplusnj.org.

About Care Plus NJ and Care Plus Foundation

Care Plus NJ, Inc., headquartered in Paramus NJ, is the leading provider of comprehensive, recovery-focused mental health and substance abuse services in Northern New Jersey. Since 1978, Care Plus NJ has been dedicated to achieving excellence in mental health care. Our goal is to provide the life-long support necessary to ensure that individuals and their families are able to achieve their full potential and improve the quality of their lives

Care Plus Foundation, founded in 1998, is a 501c(3) non-profit organization committed to building a brighter world for those suffering with mental health issues. The Foundation supports the programs and services of Care Plus NJ through public education, program development, community relations and fundraising. In addition, the Foundation presents programming in the community to decrease the stigma of mental illness and build awareness of important mental health related topics. 

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