FEATURED ARTICLE
Marin IJ: From Homelessness to Hope: A Marin Youth Story
By Julian Kane Stein
An early childhood memory was in preschool when an incident occurred that led to me being taken away from my parents by CPS and put into foster care, mainly because both my parents were drug addicts. After losing my mother when I was 12 years old, I moved out of my father’s house before age 18 and spent years couch surfing—bouncing around from friends to friends, and one girlfriend’s house to another. I slept in my car many cold nights when I was left with no other options. I struggled to keep up with bare necessities such as laundry and basic hygiene. However, I was far from your stereotypical homeless young man. My luck started to change once I was introduced to Zara and the Marin nonprofit Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity (AHO).
FEATURED ARTICLE
Two Marin Non-Profits Help At-Risk Youth Succeed
By Nikki Silverstein
Zara Babitzke and Jeannine Curley came from different backgrounds, but both faced serious challenges while growing up. It’s not surprising that the two remarkable women chose careers where they could help others—specifically at-risk youth.
In 2003, Babitzke, who experienced homelessness in her youth, founded the Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity (AHO) to help homeless teens and young adults, aged 16 to 25. AHO services include providing housing, jobs, free dental care, free eye exams and glasses, legal aid and trauma counseling. Read Article
FEATURED ARTICLE
Mill Valley Living: Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity – A Calling of the Heart
By Alexandra Fee
On January 21 2005 the Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity Project (AHO) was founded by Zara Babitzke to address a critical need for the growing numbers of homeless teens and young adults ages 16 to 25 in Marin that no one else was helping. AHO started as a calling of the heart when the first-ever program for young people 18 and over Zara both designed and directed for Sunny Hills Services (SHS) in 2003, lost funding.
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Changing the Face of Youth Homelessness
By Zara Babitzke
Marin Post
It’s Time to Change the Face of Youth Homelessness
by Larkin Bond
Marin IJ
Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity Ad
By George Landau
Marin IJ, Summer 2019
The Happys Embrace Their Emotions on Their New EP
by Stett Holbrook
Pacific Sun
San Marin Grad Leads a Local Band and New Album
By Derek Wilson
May 7, 2018
Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity help the youth at only a small cost
By George Landau
Marin IJ, July 10th, 2018
Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity help the youth at only a small cost
Letter from George Landau,
Co-Founder of the Tiburon-Belvedere Rotary
Marin Voice: Building bridges between police and young adults
By Cindy Aguilera Marin Independent Journal, May 7, 2018
Groundbreaking Study Finds 4.2 Million Youth Experience Homelessness Over a 12 Month Period
By John Burton Foundation
Newsletter February 6th, 2018
Helping Hidden Homeless: At-Risk Youth Falling Between the Cracks
By Chris Rooney
Mill Valley Herald, 2017
Marin Voice: A preventive solution to youth homelessness
By Christina Herrera
Marin Independent Journal, 2017
Marin Voice: Homeless youth spearhead free dental clinic for peers
By Larkin Bond
Marin Independent Journal, 2017
Sammy Hagar Comes to Aid of Marin’s Homeless Youth
By Paul Liberatore
Marin Independent Journal, 2016
Dominican University forum tackles homelessness in Marin
By Adrian Rodriguez
Marin Independent Journal, 2016
Marin Voice: Helping Marin’s young homeless population
By Larkin Bond
Marin Independent Journal, 2016