PROJECT AVARY TARGETS FUNDING GAP

Project Avary, a Marin County nonprofit that provides long-term support to youth impacted by parental incarceration in the Bay Area and across the country, has launched its “Fund the Defunded” campaign to address a sudden $300,000 gap caused by the loss of federal funding. The campaign, running through July 20, coincides with Project Avary’s summer camp in Point Reyes, where children and teens are cared for at a time when so many face increased isolation.

“Children with incarcerated parents are among the most overlooked youth in our country,” said Ambrosia Phoummathep-Winspear, executive director of Project Avary. “When our federal funding quietly disappeared earlier this year with no replacement or transition plan, it put these already marginalized young people at even greater risk of being forgotten.” Project Avary serves youth ages 8 to 25 through a 10-year-plus journey of consistent mentorship, leadership development and support. Unlike one-time interventions that come and go, Project Avary offers dependable, long-term care that young people can trust.

The organization’s model creates lasting stability for youth who often face profound trauma and isolation due to a parent’s incarceration. This funding gap threatens that stability for youth who have already grown up navigating uncertainty, loss and systems that too often let them down.

“We’re being strategic and steady, but showing up with unwavering commitment,” Phoummathep-Winspear said. “Our youth cannot afford disruptions in programming, especially when other support systems are already strained. This campaign is about the community stepping up when public funding steps away.”

Project Avary has served Marin County and the Bay Area for over 26 years, offering year-round programming that includes summer camps, leadership retreats, nature-based enrichment, after-school support groups and services for families. The organization’s holistic approach addresses the unique and often overlooked needs of children of incarcerated parents — including those whose parents have been detained or deported — who are statistically more likely to experience mental health challenges, poverty, housing instability, academic barriers and justice system involvement.

For more information or to support the Fund the Defunded campaign, visit projectavary.org.