Compassion Planet

Our Remarkable Story: Compassion Planet began with a dream to provide hope & positive futures for under-served youth in the Greater Sacramento area.

Newly married, Scott and Jacquie Flanagan became aware of the challenges aged-out foster youth face while serving youth in Silicon Valley. Discovering that one of their youth, Marvin, was going to be homeless two weeks after his 18th birthday, they stepped into action. Their search did not produce results, so they invited him to live in their one-bedroom apartment. For the next five months, they helped Marvin become independent by helping him find a job and transportation while mentoring him in basic life skills and how to be a reliable employee. After clearing his three-month probation at his first job, they helped Marvin find a place to rent and manage a household budget. This experience planted the seeds for the work that would be started 22 years later. Compassion Planet began in 2012 due to the shared dream of Flanagans and Todd and Luann Johnson.

Today this dream is impacting the lives of underserved youth in Placer and Sacramento Counties. Together, with sustainable non-profit businesses along with the generous support of our community, Compassion Planet brings four groups of youth, called trainees, into their Mentoring Program four times a year. Comprised of aged-out foster youth and youth from at-risk backgrounds (ages 18-24) these groups are empowered by up to 1,900 hours of on-the-job training (includes employment), psycho-educational therapy, and life skills training before graduating into CP's lifelong Aftercare Program. Their stories and journeys are incredible and Compassion Planet is privileged to be a part of their family!

Learn more about our amazing program and all it's elements in the "Our Programs" tab. Below is a quick overview of our after-care program.

The After-Care Program

A lifelong program for graduates that includes services and staying connected to a community. Our goal is to help ensure lifelong growth and success. Compassion Planet’s After Care Program includes:

Care Check-ins

We provide lifelong care through trimester check-ins, designed to create ongoing support throughout the year. Our goal is to make sure youth stay connected, never spend a holiday alone, and let them know we are still available no matter what.

Trainee Emergency Advancement Fund

Our Emergency Advancement Fund is available to support our graduates when emergencies arise. This may include meeting financial needs, providing educational tools, and/or personal coaching through the challenging season.

Alumni Events

Graduates of Compassion Planet are invited to come back and take part in 3-4 alumni events throughout the year which may include a movie night at a local theater, a professional sporting event, a holiday party, a picnic, or a barbecue.

Housing Opportunities

Graduates and participating youth at Compassion Planet have opportunities to acquire affordable rent until they find a career that can afford market rates. Although limited opportunities currently exist, our goal is to expand this service to help our youth build their credit and rental history.