The term “childhood trauma” refers to the effects—to the brain, nervous system, frame of mind and behavior—of extremely stressful event(s) that occur during childhood and overwhelm a child’s coping ability. Research shows that in-utero infants can also experience trauma if stressful events happen to the person carrying that infant. Examples of trauma include physical, emotional or sexual abuse; neglect; separation from loved ones; or unpredictable parental behaviors, such as those which occur with substance use or other mental disorders, or if the parent has unprocessed trauma of their own.  For many children, entering foster care is another traumatic event.

How Does Trauma Work?

When a stressful event (big or small, singular or repeatedly) occurs, the child’s brain responds with a survival stress response, including: fight (confronting the threat directly), flight (escaping from the threat), freeze (becoming immobile), and fawn (appeasing the threat by people-pleasing behaviors). . These stress responses help a child cope with the overwhelming situation and adapt to the circumstances they have no control over.  Stress response is automatic and initiated from our most primitive “lizard” brain. Therefore, it doesn’t involve the higher reasoning portion of the brain (not yet formed in childhood).

Trauma Triggers and Resulting Behaviors

When a child experiences trauma over time, their body adapts as if on autopilot to do whatever it takes to cope/stay safe (fight, flight, freeze or fawn). This adaptation becomes their stress response to their trauma “triggers,” things that remind them (often subconsciously) of the original traumatic event. Triggers often occur in entirely different settings and remind the child (or adult) of the original event that threatened their safety or nervous system.

Trauma triggers can be a sound, sight, touch, smell, feeling, place, someone’s expression, posture or tone of voice. The trigger drops the child right back into their need to stay safe in the way(s) that worked for them before, without thought. The child is not able to reason or consider the consequences or the effects of their behaviors on others. Triggers can seem unrelated to the child’s traumatic early life events but can be connected in a variety of ways. Homework, trying to fit in with peers, and angst about their family of origin can also move them into the same stress response behavior they first developed.

A young person might exhibit distrust, disobedience, disassociation, aggression, angry outbursts, willful non-listening, or defiance of the adult figure. Think of these behaviors as reflexes or automatic reactions. They are not thought out or planned.

And It’s Not Just Behaviors

Repeated activation of the stress response can also cause a child to experience a host of physical and emotional ailments. This is because stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, trigger the physical changes needed to fight, flight, freeze or fawn. This can result in migraines, headaches, gut problems, acne, anxiety, self-destructive behaviors (cutting, eating disorders, substance use disorder, hair pulling), suicidal ideations, depression, and sleep difficulties, as just some examples.  These ailments can be another sign a child has experienced or is experiencing trauma.

Stay tuned for tips on handling troubling behaviors coming soon in Helping a Young Person Who’s Experienced Trauma – Part 2.

We know there are many well-deserving local and national organizations to support this holiday season. As we continue to celebrate 5 years of empowering youth from foster care, we ask that you please give your time, voice and/or dollars to join us!

Your generosity toward our mission will do good today and for years to come. Our research-based services of one-to-one mentoring, positive recreation and life skills education for 13-to-21-year-old youth offer scientifically proven supports that buffer the effects of trauma and build resiliency. They also offer long-term benefits that enable youth to beat statistics — high rates of homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration, etc. — and thrive!

Check out the ways YOU can give empowerment this holiday season.

TIME

• Sign up to become a mentor or a volunteer.
• Plan and hold a fundraiser (bake sale, gift card drive, etc.) on our behalf.

VOICE

• Like and share our messages on social media.
• Encourage others to donate and get involved!
• Vote on issues that benefit youth from foster care.

DOLLARS

• Give any amount through our website, PayPal, Facebook, or mail a check (PO Box 293504 Sacramento, CA 95829).
• CA state employees can give through the Our Promise United Way campaign until Dec. 31.
• Other companies, like Nordstrom, VSP, Kaiser, etc., offer payroll donation options as well.
• Mail gift cards for local restaurants, attractions, retailers or grocery stores so youth can enjoy constructive free time or get much-needed items!
• Purchase a program item from our Amazon Wish List that will be sent directly to us on your behalf.

Thank you for your generosity, and happy holidays!

Faith simultaneously works as a server at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, a job she has had for a while now. She is also a dedicated student with less than one year from completing her bachelor’s degree in child and adolescent development in the study of social and community contexts from California State University, Sacramento.

As Aging UP’s FYI AmeriCorps Member, Faith is especially passionate to help youth in foster care because she was in foster care at one point. Faith is also planning to go into social work after her degree. She lives in Elk Grove and, when she is not working or studying, she enjoys walks around the park, painting, reading, and cleaning…yes cleaning.

If you have experience working with diverse communities and a passion to see youth from foster care succeed, this may be the perfect opportunity for you!

The position’s responsibilities include coordinating the Youth Leadership Group, assisting transition-age youth on a one-to-one basis with employment and college opportunities (resume, FASFA, Chaffee Grant, etc.), leading valuable life skills presentations, providing assessments to youth, assisting with group events, and supporting other important program functions.

Training is provided and required. During this 11-month commitment, the individual will serve an average of 18-20 hours per week gaining hands-on, direct experience working with teens in foster care as well as various professionals in the field.

Essential duties include providing supervision and mentoring to a small group of emerging leaders, assisting with overall services that support all the youth in our program, and coordinating group events.

If this sounds like you, please see our service description and submit your resume and cover letter to Program Director Kecia at kecia@agingup.org by July 28.

You can learn more about AmeriCorps at by watching What is AmeriCorps and California Volunteers AmeriCorps.

We know there are many well-deserving local and national charities and appreciate your support to empower youth with experience in foster care to beat statistics and thrive.

There are many ways to support our mission. Please consider how you can give to empower youth this holiday season.

DOLLARS

• Give any amount online or by check.
• Donate gift cards to local restaurants, attraction venues, and retail or grocery stores so youth can enjoy constructive free time or gain much-needed items!
  • Gift cards and/or checks can be mailed to us at PO Box 22963 Sacramento, CA 95822.
• Purchase something from our Amazon Wish List that will be sent directly to us and given to teens or used for program purposes.

TIME

• Sign up to become a mentor or a volunteer.
• Designate Aging UP as your AmazonSmile charity then use our link every time you shop to support our mission at no cost to you!

VOICE

• Like and share our messages on social media.
• Encourage others to donate and get involved!

Thank you for giving the gift of empowerment!

Our recent Harvest Picnic meetUP was a fun way to celebrate this season! Mentoring Matches met at a local park for lunch and pumpkin carving. It was a beautiful Sacramento fall day — chilly yet sunny, which made it a perfect outdoor event where Matches could social distance while still enjoying time together as a group.

Upon arrival, the teens selected a large pumpkin and received a small decorated bucket filled with a carving kit and a surprise goodie bag that included festive socks and candy. A hearty lunch of fresh sandwiches with chips was made complete by adorable and very tasty monster cookies, thanks to our friends at Cake4Kids.

Youth and mentors worked side-by-side to create their unique jack-o’-lanterns. Most Matches freehanded their pumpkin designs while others used patterns from their carving kits. All of the jack-o’-lanterns came out great, and it was wonderful to celebrate together!

We encourage all caring adults to help teens in your life enjoy Halloween in a way that makes them comfortable. Check out our fun suggestions*:

• Let them eat candy! If you’re passing out candy, please share with teens — even if they don’t say “trick or treat” or aren’t in (elaborate) costumes.
• Help them dress up. It doesn’t have to cost a lot. Dressing up can be done with minimal accessories, simple hair/makeup and everyday clothes. We also like these fun and affordable costume ideas curated by Fabulessly Frugal.
• Order tasty takeout – several pizza chains offer jack-o’-lantern-shaped pizza. You can also check out tasty deals (shared by TODAY) from national restaurants, like Krispy Kreme, Wendy’s and more.
• Have a movie marathon — depending on your teen’s preference, you can stream Halloween-inspired movies from a spooky, horror, vintage or comedy genre.
• Bake or decorate a fun seasonal treat, like one of these easy recipes from Insanely Good.
• Of course, pumpkin carving is a great activity — you can make it a contest and give a prize.

We hope these tips* encourage you to do something fun with the teens in your life. A signature part of our program is to provide positive recreation to youth from foster care. We are proud to offer these age-appropriate activities and love seeing our young people enjoy traditions with their mentors.

We hope you enjoy a safe and happy Halloween!

*This content is NOT sponsored. These are original ideas from Aging UP staff and any companies mentioned are simply noted for inspiration.

On September 17, our generous community joined together via YouTube Live for the event finale of our 3^rd Annual Play to Empower FUNdraiser. This Live Virtual Game Night featured Freddie Silveria of FSA Auctions as the incredible emcee. He and volunteer Andrea Saenz were great co-hosts. Victoria Rodriguez served as videographer, editor and day-of producer. And Carly of Tidy Revival worked with our Co-founder April to coordinate the event. We’re thankful to this team for creating a fun and meaningful event!

During the event, participants played trivia, based on famous movie mentors, and they tried their best to guess sketches drawn by our hosts. Most importantly, they heard from one of our Mentoring Matches and they gave generously to make wishes become real-life adventures for our teens!

Watch the recording

Those who played our games had the chance to win amazing prize packs. We’re so grateful to Tidy Revival for continuing to sponsor and support this event. We’re also thankful for the amazing in-kind support from 90 Plus Wine Club, Tami Hackbarth Guilt-free Self-care, True Value Hardware in Woodland, Article Consignment, Leatherby’s Family Creamery, Revolution Winery & Kitchen, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, Cabine, Propagate Plants & Gatherings, Fox and Goose Public House, Salt & Shea, Kona Ice Central Sacramento, Fish and Chip Craft Co., and others who contributed toward our fantastic prize packs!

The Live Virtual Game night was the finale of a weeklong, online peer-to-peer FUNdraiser, which raised a total of $13,269!! These funds will directly support our overall program that empowers youth from foster care to thrive into adulthood! A portion will also go toward making the requested adventures happen for our teens. We’re so grateful!

Our event may be over, but there are many ways to get involved: donate, mentor, volunteer, and share our posts on social media.

As we continue to navigate through the pandemic, our goal is to maintain the highest quality of programming for youth from foster care. We are also committed to offering fun ways for our generous and caring community to get involved. Thank you to everyone who joined this event!

Despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic, our incredible community of supporters came through in 2020. We are so grateful to grantors Golden 1 Credit Union, Capitol Network and Ticket to Dream Foundation. Their generosity, along with committed supporters and special donations through online fundraisers, enabled us to stay on track with plans to add another mentoring cohort this year!

It’s a pleasure to share that our Mentor Training Cohort 4 has begun! Out of 29 applicants, we welcomed 18 incredible adults. These individuals exude kindness and commitment and meet other criteria necessary to become an Aging UP Mentor.

Cohort 4 is very special. They are the first group to train entirely remotely. Typically, we hold 4 sessions, totaling 20 hours of in-person training. This has been revised to 6 sessions, totaling 14 hours of live virtual training, combined with independent work of completing activities and watching videos. To build community, mentors-in-training can network before and after each session. We also hold weekly Zoom drop-in hours for casual mingling and to discuss topics further.

Not only is this our largest training class, but it is also our most diverse group so far! Ages range from early-20s to mid-70s, and more than 7 ethnicities are represented. While the group is comprised primarily of women, we’re excited to have three strong male role models and will work to improve gender diversity.

Training is still part of our thorough screening process. It is also an opportunity for prospective mentors to ensure that we’re the right program for them. We believe each one has the potential to be a stable, supportive friend who can help a youth from foster care thrive.

We are so excited to continue learning with this group and preparing them to be the best mentors possible. Cohort 4, welcome to our community!

There are more than 1,600 children in Sacramento’s foster care system. Though removal from their biological home may have been necessary, youth often suffer mental and physical effects from that trauma and subsequent adversities.

Without proper support, these young people can face futures ranging from low education attainment to long-term physical, emotional and mental health challenges. Statistics state that 50 percent will be homeless, unemployed, or incarcerated within two years of exiting foster care.

Yet there is hope! Our research-based services provide relational connections and other resources that equip youth from foster care to transition into happy, healthy, self-sufficient adults.

“Science shows that children who do well despite serious hardship have had at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive adult. These relationships buffer children from developmental disruption and help them develop resilience…(Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, 2015).”

Because of such research, mentoring is the heart of Aging UP. Mentors commit to be that one – a stable, supportive adult – to a teen from foster care. They are positive role models who offer visibility, support and resources. Mentors expose youth to new worldviews, interpersonal skills and constructive ways to spend free time. Most importantly, they offer support and friendship during turbulent adolescent years.

Because we believe everyone grows through new experiences, positive recreation is one of our pillar services. During one-to-one time with their mentor, youth enjoy activities and explore their interests. We also hold Group meetUPs, where all of our Mentoring Matches (teen with mentor) come together for fun activities in a stigma-free environment.

While fun is an important part of adolescence, we also equip teens toward self-sufficiency. Our UPshops are fun, hands-on workshops where youth learn practical life skills side-by-side with their mentor and their peers.

All of these supports are intentionally designed to give youth from foster care a community where they connect through relationship, grow through new experiences and are empowered to succeed.

Check out this short video of the Golden State Warriors as they join NBA Cares and MENTOR in bringing awareness to the important need of mentors for at-risk youth. During the month of September, this powerful partnership is shining light on the need for mentors and encouraging all to consider becoming “someone who matters to someone who matters.”

We invite you to take this message to heart and sign up for one of our upcoming orientations by contacting Program Director Kecia at kecia@agingup.org.

Our one-hour, no-obligation orientation is the first step to becoming a mentor in real life to a youth from foster care. During the presentation, Aging UP staff will thoroughly explain the requirements, benefits, and need for mentors. Attendees will gain a clear picture of what it would be like to be a mentor with Aging UP and will have all the information needed to decide if a mentoring a youth from foster care is right for them.

There may be 9 million at-risk youth without a mentor, but you can make a difference for one of them – right here in Sacramento!

Consider becoming a mentor in real life and register for one of our upcoming dates:

Saturday, September 23 | 10:00 – 11:00 am |Elk Grove

Thursday, September 28 | 6:30-7:30 pm |Midtown

Tuesday, October 3 | 6:00 – 7:00 pm |South Sacramento