WKYC: Chair-ity transforms spaces into homes for young adults who age out of foster care in Northeast Ohio

Author: Isabel Lawrence

Published: 9:20 AM EDT September 25, 2022 on www.WKYC.com

CLEVELAND — When Maria Paparella learned about the challenges some young adults face after they’ve aged out of the foster care system, she created a non-profit designed to help make those first steps into adulthood less daunting.

Chair-ity, an organization she began in high school, provides and delivers furniture to those who are moving out of the foster care system and into new spaces. 

When Paparella was younger, her family hoped to have another child. However, when her parents realized they wouldn’t be able to have one on their own, they began exploring the adoption process. 

While the process ultimately didn’t work out for Paparella’s family, it did open her eyes to the foster care system, and pushed her to learn more about the experiences of the children going through it. 

At that point, Paparella said she learned about children who age out of the foster care system. According to Chair-ity’s website, while some counties and agencies have the resources to help find housing and job opportunities for former foster youth, not all of them are able to provide that support. 

“They really start that process out so much younger than any of their peers do,” Paparella said of taking those steps to live independently. 

That’s when she approached Summit County Children’s Services to learn about what support they needed and how she could help. 

“I really just knew that I wanted to do something to help, and at that time, their greatest need was furniture,” she said. “They didn't have a way for their kids who were aging out to store the furniture to distribute the furniture.”

From there, she took on a handful of deliveries, eventually turning her efforts into a 501(c)(3), with the mission to ease the transition and help these youths establish a sense of home. 

“A lot of the young adults that we're serving, they don't have the family members that they can call on to bring these items in. They don't have a reliable set of friends or an extended network,” she said. “And so I think we're really fortunate that we can be that resource for them, and ensure that when they're moving in, it's going to be safe, it's going to be stable.”

Chair-ity collects and stores furniture donations. They are then connected with young adults who are aging out of the foster care system via referrals from different counties or community organizations. From there, they work to supply whatever home items that young adult needs at no cost.

“I think that aspect of choice gives them this sense of dignity in their own home,” she said. “And I think for a lot of kids, it's their first time being able to create a space that is theirs.”

Chair-ity currently serves six counties, Summit, Cuyahoga, Lake, Ashtabula, Stark, and Medina. According to Paparella, they have served over 230 young adults who have aged out of foster care in addition to their 150 children.  

One of those young adults is Jediah Stoves, who, along with her two children, recently moved into an apartment in Wickliffe. She entered the foster care system at seven years old and went through the emancipation process at 17. 

On her own, she worked to afford a place to live, and at one point, was homeless. However, she never gave up working towards creating a place to call her own. 

“There's no support, there's no housewarming. There are no family members coming and bringing you gifts and bringing you allowances and helping you with your first month's rent. You know what I'm saying?” Jediah said. “There are no savings saved, stashed away for you to get your first mortgage or anything like that. Nobody's teaching you how to pay rent, how to pay a bill, what to prioritize or even how to save. So I literally walked in that apartment building and that leasing office with just a prayer and a whim.”

Jediah credits Chair-ity with transforming her apartment into a home, the organization providing bedroom furniture in addition to a kitchen table with seating, and a couch and other living room furniture. 

“It's nice to have a house, but if you keep coming in and it's empty, you are coming home from work to an empty house. It does nothing, but remind you of the things you still need to do,” she said. “It doesn't feel like peace. It doesn't feel like home. It feels more like another obstacle.”

Now, with a furnished apartment, Stoves said she’s been given new hope. 

“It's a breath of fresh air,” Stoves said. “It's a reassurance, you know, it just takes your worries away. So I'm very grateful for that.”