After years of working as the Executive Assistant for a nonprofit after-school program on Skid Row, our founder and Executive Director, Ali Bodager, got to know young people who were navigating foster care, housing instability, and some really difficult circumstances. She watched them grow, learn, and become capable young adults with so much potential.

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But then they turned 18.

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Too often, the support they had counted on simply stopped. Ali watched young adults who were capable of building good lives struggle to figure out what came next, not because they lacked ability, but because they were suddenly expected to navigate adulthood without the guidance, practical skills, and relationships they needed.

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Ali knew something had to change.

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In 2021, she founded Jacaranda Rising to be the organization that didn't walk away when a young person turned 18. Instead, we would walk alongside them through those first important years of adulthood, teaching practical life skills, building meaningful relationships, and reminding them that they don't have to figure everything out alone.

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Today, Jacaranda Rising continues to do just that. We come alongside transition-age young adults as they learn to budget, find jobs, manage a home, build healthy relationships, and create a future they can be proud of.

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Because 18 shouldn't mean you're on your own.