Saint Vincent de Paul
Home for Success
Saint Vincent de Paul Home for Success (“Home for Success”) is a project developed by The Society of St. Vincent de Paul District Council of Sonoma County, Inc. (SVdP-Sonoma). The home is intended to serve students who have aged out of foster care or similar settings and become at risk for homelessness, and who would benefit from additional support as they gain the education and life-skills needed to transition to independent living. The goal is to provide two essential features for college success – a stable home, and ready access to a team of academic, career and life-skills mentors.
Home for Success is a fully furnished, five-bedroom, four-bathroom home, with one student per bedroom and shared living spaces. It is located about a half-mile north of the Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) campus in Santa Rosa.
Home for Success:
A Video Tour
Students are expected to pay a modest rent, which includes utilities and internet access, and the provision of common household supplies. Students are also expected to assume responsibility for chores and behaviors appropriate to a shared living situation that has an educational focus. Finally, students are expected to pursue all financial aid opportunities available to them to minimize the need to work while going to school.
​
All applicants must have completed high school with a diploma or equivalent. While living in the home, residents must be enrolled in an undergraduate program at a local postsecondary institution, taking at least six units per semester, and have a plan to complete an initial course of study within three years (four years for students with no prior college credits). Individuals with fewer than six college credits when moving in may live in the house for up to four years. Those with six units or more may live in the house for up to three years.
​
In accepting applicants, priority is given to students who:
-
have been in foster care or similar settings during their teenage years and who are currently housing insecure;
-
are or will be attending Santa Rosa Junior College (although applicants may be enrolled in any local college);
-
are at least 18 and under the age of 25 at the time of application.
​​
Next Steps: if you are interested in applying to become a resident at the Home for Success, please send an email to:
(You can click on the address above to open and begin drafting your email, or copy the address and paste it ito the "To:" field of your email later.)
Please make sure your email includes all of the following information.
-
Your full name
-
Your current address
-
Your date of birth
-
Your cellphone number (if you have one)
-
An email address to which you have access and we can reply
-
Your preferred start date
​
After sending this email, you will receive a reply with a request to provide some additional information that will help us get to know you and to determine if the Home for Success would be a good place for you. You may also be asked to provide a high school transcript and a letter of recommendation from an adult who knows you well. You may also be asked to participate in an online (Zoom) interview.
If you know someone who should apply, please direct them to this page on our web site. Thanks!
Mentoring Resources
Home for Success provides students with a range of mentoring resources. For academic planning and course mentoring, Dan Sullivan is available on call, via either phone or Zoom. He has a Ph.D. in economics from Yale University and is a professor emeritus of media management and economics at the University of Minnesota. Throughout his career, he has been an academic and career advisor for students ranging from high school juniors and seniors to students pursuing a Ph.D.
Katherine Foster serves as the “House Mother” and is available to address any unmet needs of our student-residents. Examples include but are not limited to medical or dental connections, local resources, and help with life skills such as cooking, money management, traveling, or informal counseling. Katherine is a retired pediatrician with an interest in oral health and asthma. She also served as a Medical Consultant for the North Bay and Redwood Coast Regional Centers, and worked with the Sonoma County health services as a First Five Sonoma Commissioner.
Case managers from the St. Vincent de Paul Commons (a few blocks from the home) are available to assist students with access to a range of resources, including employment search, financial assistance, and mental health services.
Every new resident will have a required introductory meeting with each of these resources during their first month in the home. In addition, all residents will have a required meeting with the academic mentor each August to ensure they are staying on track and making appropriate academic progress. Beyond these required meetings, in the future, the lead tenant in the home will serve as a triage agent to ensure that students are connected to the appropriate resource when needed.