It’s About More Than Money: Financial Guidance After Foster Care

Meet Daily Point of Light Award honoree Todd Devin. Read his story, and nominate an outstanding volunteer or family as a Daily Point of Light.

Young adults with foster care experience often miss out on the guidance that other people receive as they grow up. But with Todd Devin just a phone or Zoom call away, several have found the support they need.

Todd is a volunteer with the Selfless Love Foundation, which leverages resources, expertise and proven solutions to improve the child welfare system. One aspect of their work is to assist foster youth as they transition into adulthood. Whether they’re applying for a job or setting up a savings account, Todd uses his experience as a private wealth advisor to provide guidance when it comes to various topics relating to financial literacy.

While the principles of personal finance are the foundation of Todd’s guidance, they’re often a launch pad for so much more. In time, many of Todd’s mentees learn valuable skills related to starting a career and building life-long goals. His monthly calls with his mentees delve into managing issues that range from how to buy their first car to navigating complex relationships in the workplace.

By simply picking up his mentees’ phone calls for a few hours a month, Todd provides a sense of stability in lives that have likely faced issues ranging from homelessness and abuse to parental loss and constant upheaval. His dedication to the cause positively impacts young adults on a daily basis.

What inspires you to volunteer?

The young adults I work with are just such remarkable people, and the honor and privilege to interact with a very small percentage of youth that have gone through what they’ve gone through and come out the other side and just want better lives for themselves and those around them is just so inspiring.

Tell us about your volunteer role with the Selfless Love Organization.

I’ve worked with four young people in a variety of different capacities since 2017. Many times, it begins with just the financial aspect. That’s one of the things they’re more interested in, and then it expands into things that ultimately relate to their relationship to money, like jobs, housing and cars. I’m not their therapist. I’m not anything else. I am simply there to give them some thoughts and education around what they’re doing when it comes to money. It’s really just building a belief system in them that they can build to the point where they can be financially independent.

What inspired you to get started with this initiative?

I think it’s important to note that this was not a population or a cause or a mission that I was personally tied to my life. I just attended an event and knew some people that were throwing the event. But I listened and I learned, and it just struck something in me. Because of my background in personal finance and wealth management, I was initially asked to help one of the young adults deal with a financial issue. That developed into my first mentorship, which still is ongoing now, three years later.

What’s been the most rewarding part of your work?

When something significant happens in their life that’s good. Maybe they get a job or they get accepted into a school program that they weren’t sure they should even apply for, but I encouraged them to have faith in themselves. Maybe they bought their first car. It’s just awesome. It really is such a fantastic feeling. They did it. It’s their work. But to know that I played some small part is probably the most rewarding aspect.

What have you learned through your experiences as a volunteer?

Understanding the challenges that this group of people has to deal with was something that I just never could have fathomed. I don’t get into a lot of the really heavy stuff with them, but it’s there. I know it’s there. Many people who have gone through the foster care system have experienced abuse. And for most of them, it’s every type of abuse a human can have. That is absolutely something that I was unaware of. The flip side of that is to watch them come out of this and see the triumph the human spirit can have, despite all of these challenges.

Why is it important for others to get involved with causes they care about?

I think we need to be part of the solution. Whatever that solution looks like, we need to be a part of it. And the best way to be part of it is to just give. Give our time, and become part of that solution, not just advocate for it, but to be part of that solution. And the only way we can really do that is action. And that action is called volunteerism.

Any advice for people who want to start volunteering?

My suggestion would be to just reach out to an organization. Trust me, they’ll find a use for you. Don’t go in with any preconceived notions of what you’re going to be doing. What they’re going to be looking for is to use skills you already have. It’s not like you’re going to have to learn a ton of new skills to be useful. They’re going to find a way. If you’re a carpenter, they’re going to find a way to use you to build. If you’re an accountant, they’re going to find a way to use those skills to be able to help the accounting side.

What do you want people to learn from your story?

There might be hesitation because we’re all so busy. But for me, it’s a couple of hours a month. If there’s any more than that, it’s because I want it to be. The time commitment can be as little or as much as you want. Don’t be scared of how much time it’s going to take or that you’re not ready. Just jump in. An hour a couple times a month could mean the world to an organization or the people whose lives you touch.

Do you want to make a difference in your community like Todd? Find local volunteer opportunities.