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New Life for Homeless Youth

New life for Homeless Youth

Our Mission

Vita Nova is a safe bridge to independence for former foster care, LGBTQ and other homeless youth through supportive housing, education, employment and life skills training...

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    As the voice of homeless young adults, Vita Nova is working to eliminate homelessness for youth ages 18 to 25 years old in Palm Beach County.


    Let us tell you a story about a starfish.

    One day, an old man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.


    Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?". The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."


    ​"Son," the man said, "Don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't possibly make a difference!"


    After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then smiling at the man, he said...


    ​"I made a difference for that one."

Our Mission

Vita Nova is a safe bridge to independence for former foster care and other homeless youth through supportive housing, education, employment and life skills training...

  • read more

    As the voice of homeless young adults, Vita Nova is working to eliminate homelessness for youth ages 18 to 25 years old in Palm Beach County.


    Let us tell you a story about a starfish.

    One day, an old man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.


    Approaching the boy, he asked, "What are you doing?". The youth replied, "Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."


    ​"Son," the man said, "Don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can't possibly make a difference!"


    After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then smiling at the man, he said...


    ​"I made a difference for that one."

We champion the formula for self sufficiency.

Housing + Education + Employment + Supportive Living = Self Sufficiency   

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Housing +

Who can successfully live on their own at 18 years old? Our housing is geared for older foster and homeless youth ages 18-25 with nowhere to turn for support.

306

Youth served in Vita Nova housing and housing assistance programs this year.

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Education +

With our in-house GED program, and pipeline from school to vocational training, Vita Nova believes in the power of education to transform lives and break free from poverty.

81%

of youth housed with Vita Nova housing were enrolled in High School or College compared to 41% of foster youth ages 18-25 in Florida

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Employment +

Work is the antidote to homelessness. Our work training programs and initiatives help youth learn skills to re-enter the workforce; and then later, enter careers.

88%

of youth acquired employability skills and obtained employment.

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Supportive Living +

From house cleaning, cooking, laundry, home maintenance and financial literacy to conflict resolution, self-esteem and emotional control, these skills will help ensure that our youth are able to maintain stable housing when they leave us.


100%

of youth who live at Vita Nova housing received life skill training in employment, education, health and wellness, housing and financial.

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Self Sufficiency


 Our formula for Self Sufficiency leads to helping our youth grow in both supportive connections, and resources so they can move away from homelessness and poverty. Vita Nova believes in strong relationships with our youth as an essential ingredient, so they can make the changes necessary to reach their goals. 

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Stories of Courage

Anthony

Anthony moved into Vita Nova Village in April 2022 when he became homeless after his mother passing away. Anthony never smiled during his interview, speaking about how hard it was to manage without a stable place to live, and food to eat.

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    He immediately moved into his apartment and stated, " Is this place for me - I never lived in a place so beautiful." Anthony is now able to find employment with Vita Nova, and will successfully finish high school in June of this year.

ALL STORIES

Vita Nova Events

Vita Nova events are vital in advancing our mission to strengthen youth in their efforts to achieve stability and self-sufficiency. You can play an active role in ensuring our youth continue on their journey of self-sufficiency by getting involved with events held throughout the year.

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    Whether it be through monetary support, volunteering your time or sharing our mission and story with friends and family, you can play a part in bringing stability back into the lives of those around you. If you want further information about any of the planned events, or how to get involved with our organization, please contact: aberry@vitanovainc.org

ALL EVENTS

Learn About Our Impact

Since 2005, Vita Nova has become one of the leaders in providing services for older foster and homeless youth. Over the years our services have improved to focus on the issues impacting these youth the most.

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    Today we continue to address the challenges that our youth face and offer a solution to deliver our youth into independent adulthood one by one.

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Partner Impact

Recipe for Success

We have Shrimps and Grits with Buttermilk Biscuits on the menu!

Vita Nova welcomes our newest partner, Extraordinary Charities, and their award-winning local culinary program: Recipes for Success with celebrity Chef Greg Schiff. The program welcomed 17 youth for a cooking group bonanza. Under Chef Greg's leadership, our youth had the opportunity to prepare shrimp and grits with buttermilk biscuits while learning cooking techniques, including knife skills, searing, stewing, and baking! The experience was priceless and a fun day was had by all who attended. BON APPETIT!

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