SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Growing up as a foster child comes with its own set of challenges, but the struggle often continues into adulthood. A San Diego-based nonprofit organization, Just in Time for Foster Youth, is stepping in to offer mentorship and support for those who have aged out of the foster care system.
If you’ve ever seen Mackayla Scott and Valerie Sussman together, you might say they are two peas in a pod.
"We have clicked ever since," says Scott.
Their relationship is unique, born from a series of life’s twists and turns.
"I feel really blessed. I feel really, really blessed," says Sussman.
Scott spent her entire childhood in and out of foster homes after both her parents struggled with substance abuse.
"Just imagine a big moment like graduating and having no one sitting in the stand. No one to cheer you on but yourself. And at that time, I had worked so hard, so hard to graduate," she says.
Scott's unstable childhood continued to affect her into adulthood.
"If you don't have the answers, and you're constantly not having the answers, and you're constantly running into trouble, it just makes it feel like life is not worth living in a sense," she says.
Just in Time for Foster Youth aims to combat these struggles through a volunteer mentorship program, which is designed to stabilize the lives of former foster children. The organization estimates that approximately one in four foster kids experience homelessness at some point as adults.
"When I first met Valerie, she was telling me, like, 'Hey, I'm a mother of three.' I'm like, 'OK, they probably matched us because, you know, we're mothers,'" says Scott.
"We picked each other. I remembered telling my trainer at the gym, 'I hope Makayla picks me. I hope she picks me,'" says Sussman.
Sussman, a retired pediatrician, became Scott's mentor at a crucial time in her life.
Makayla Scott: "She's been there. My mom's funeral. Like, I don’t want to get emotional... Valerie has been there for me... regardless," says Scott.
"Oh my God, my love. I learn more from her than she does from me. She just doesn't know it," Sussman says.
Sussman's dedication did not end with Makayla; she went on to mentor nine more former foster youths.
For those considering mentorship, even the smallest gestures can have a significant impact.
"Just give all that you can give. It might even just be like you going to the DMV with someone. That might be a scary time for them, and now they can go get a car, and now they can get to work," says Scott. "Now they can go to school. They can graduate. Just that small token of your time will have changed something for someone."
You can find more information on the Just in Time for Foster Youth website.
