Serving Up Drinks, Spreading Hope: Shifting Gears at Bel Air First Fridays

More Than Bingo: A Night of Community, Generosity, and Changing Lives

On May 17th, Shifting Gears gathered with friends, supporters, and community members for our Second Annual Spring Fundraiser Tea — a beautiful celebration of generosity, connection, and our shared commitment to changing the lives of teens and young adults in foster care and those who have aged out of the system.

While Shifting Gears’ primary focus is supporting young adults as they age out of care without permanency, we also understand the importance of building relationships with teenagers who are currently in care. Trust is difficult to earn, especially for youth who have been let down time and time again.
At Shifting Gears, Ms. Diana and her team make a...

✨ Big News at Shifting Gears! ✨
This weekend, we had the honor of helping a young woman move into her very first apartment — on her birthday! 🎉 What a gift to step into a new home and a new year all at once. After aging out of foster care without permanency and living in a shelter, she now has a place to call 🏠home🏠. ...

🎁 Shifting Gears Annual “Adopt-A-Teen” Event — By the Numbers! 🎁
What an unbelievable show of community, compassion, and collective heart. This year’s Adopt-A-Teen event was our biggest and brightest yet and the numbers tell a story worth celebrating:
✨ 300+ community members donated at least one item — many donated more than one!
✨ 20+ groups...

🍻 Huge Thank You to Our Amazing Volunteers! 🍻

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support our very first Basket Bingo benefiting Shifting Gears. Because of your generosity, we raised over $18,000 to support teens and young adults aging out of care without a forever family.

As summer comes to an end and a new school year begins, we are reflecting on the meaningful moments and community support that carried us through the season.

Another great Sunday dinner! We enjoyed a nacho bar along with delicious Mexican street corn from Sol Oaxaca Cocina Mexicana. For dessert, we had snowballs and cake. The youth painted rocks to start a rock snake on campus, a fun and creative community project which can continue for years to come. It was a wonderful evening filled with laughter,...