Our mission of empowering youth from foster care to thrive is only possible because of our amazing community of mentors, volunteers and UPlifters (committed investors). Of course, the remarkable young people we serve are the heartbeat of it all.
In 2023, after two years of social distancing norms, we launched our first Appreciation Event to reconnect and celebrate the power of community. It quickly became one of our favorite annual traditions.
This year, mentors, volunteers, supporters, community partners and friends gathered to once again celebrate the people who help make our mission possible. Thanks to the generosity of Bike Dog Brewing for donating the event space and Save Mart Folsom Blvd. for providing delicious bites, the mixer-style event was filled with gratitude and meaningful connections.
One of the highlights each year is recognizing individuals whose extraordinary dedication has strengthened our community and created brighter futures for youth. We proudly honor a Mentor of the Year, UPlifter of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year for their outstanding dedication and impact on the youth we serve. This year also featured a new heartfelt Founder Appreciation.
- Kecia Domoto | Founder Appreciation – This year’s Appreciation Event was the perfect opportunity to publicly honor Aging UP Co-Founder Kecia for her vision and leadership in helping create a community of opportunities and support for youth with foster care experience. It all began with a leap of faith in 2016, when she and Co-founder April, with assistance from other professionals, developed Aging UP’s trauma-informed, strengths-based model and mentor training curriculum. After recruiting our first mentoring cohort in 2018, Kecia continued to diligently serve as Program Director, managing day-to-day program operations, which required innovation throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Kecia retired from her staff role in August 2025, yet as we say, “Once you’re part of our community, you’re always part of it!” Kecia’s efforts and advocacy will remain embedded throughout our culture.
- Kristin Leonard | Mentor of the Year – For more than 8 years, Kristin’s outstanding commitment has been an anchor for her mentee, Star. She is there to celebrate milestones, offer encouragement and provide practical support, including reaching out for grocery gift cards when needed. After Star earned her esthetician license in 2025, Kristin connected her with an opportunity to turn her passion for beauty into additional income as a Beauty Society Advisor. Kristin’s generosity extends beyond her mentoring relationship. She volunteers during events and is on our FUNdraising planning committee. Kristin also made last year’s Holiday meetUP one of the sweetest events yet by baking more than 100 sugar cookies for youth and mentors to decorate together.
- Victoria Rodriguez | Volunteer of the Year – Our community has stories to share, and “Vikki,” as she’s known by Mentoring Matches, makes that happen! As a full-time videographer and editor, Vikki uses her expertise to highlight our mission in a meaningful way. While she has volunteered in this role since our founding in 2018, last year she made it a priority to create more video content, launching several new INsights videos featuring unscripted mentees and mentors. These powerful stories were a huge part of our much-needed end-of-year and Big Day of Giving fundraising successes. Check out the moving videos she produced on our YouTube channel!
- Don Wells | UPlifter of the Year – Don is the Chief Empowerment Officer of Just In Time For Foster Youth, a San Diego-based nonprofit that provides community and life-changing resources for more than 3,000 former foster youth annually. After an introduction in 2024, Aging UP joined JIT’s 100K Community, a “scaling by sharing” approach that allows partners to replicate JIT’s impactful model to best fit each organization’s needs. Shortly after, Don, who has led JIT for nearly 20 years, began mentoring Co-founder April. True to the UPlifter definition, this was extremely beneficial during a season of significant changes, including Keica’s retirement and the unexpected elimination of our local AmeriCorps program due to federal cuts and the two positions it provided. Don also made a personal multi-year investment of $20,000 and invited others to invest in Our Vision to serve 100 youth annually by 2030. When accepting his award, Don shared encouraging words that perfectly captured the spirit of the day.
Guests also enjoyed Mingle Bingo, which sparked great conversations, delicious appetizers from Save Mart, raffle prizes, and the opportunity to build new or deeper connections with others who believe in empowering young people. The event was a joyful reminder that every success story begins with a community of people who show up, care deeply and invest in the future of young people.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, and helped make this celebration a success. Such support ensures that youth with foster care experience have access to the relationships, resources and opportunities needed to thrive.
Thank you for being part of our community and for helping us celebrate another year of impact. We look forward to continuing to empower thriving futures together!
