The Aging Out Podcast
The Aging Out Podcast
The Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research
Episode 088: Interview with Joy Rios, Executive Director of Connect with a Wish (Virginia Beach, VA)
54 minutes Posted Dec 30, 2023 at 3:03 am.
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Show notes

In this episode, Lynn Tonini interviews Joy Rios, Founder and Executive Director of Connect with a Wish, located in Virginia Beach, VA. We talked about Joy's journey as an adoptive parent, which exposed her to the issues that youth in foster care face. We then discussed the launch of the organization as a holiday project and then expanded to providing youth with 'wishes' year round. The  mission has since expanded to 15 programs, providing support to foster youth from newborns to those who have aged out of care. Their next expansion will include their "Take 2 Community," a housing program for these young adults.