Jacaranda Rising

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United States
Burbank, CA
Jacaranda Rising

Currently running our Outreach Program by serving at-risk, transition-age (18-24) young adults.

05/31/2026

🎓✨ Big Congratulations! ✨🎓

This June, we have the incredible honor of celebrating one of our Jacaranda Rising participants as they graduate from college! 🎉

For young adults experiencing homelessness, earning a college degree can be especially challenging. In Los Angeles County, fewer than 3% of youth who have experienced foster care go on to graduate from college. That’s why this achievement is so meaningful.

We are beyond proud to celebrate our participant's graduation from Pierce College this June. Their hard work, perseverance, and dedication have brought them to this milestone, and we couldn't be more excited to cheer them on as they walk across the stage.

This accomplishment is a reminder that with determination, support, and opportunity, incredible things are possible.

Please join us in congratulating this amazing graduate! 🎓👏💜

05/29/2026

A huge thank you to and Jim Festante for leading such an engaging and eye-opening workshop for our young adults yesterday! 💜

Participants learned about how algorithms shape what we see online, ways to build healthier screen time habits, and how we all need to fact check what we see on social media. We all walked away having learned something new!📱

We’re so grateful for community partners like Health-e-Habits who empower young adults with practical tools and knowledge for everyday life. 💪

05/08/2026

It’s Jacaranda Season 💜

All across Los Angeles, the Jacaranda trees are in full bloom — vibrant purple petals covering our yards, streets, and sidewalks in beauty and color.

Did you know Jacaranda Rising was named after these beautiful trees because they are our founder Ali’s favorite? Jacarandas represent rebirth. They are vibrant, beautiful, messy, and imperfect — just like us.

That is the heart behind Jacaranda Rising. We want every young adult in our programs to know this truth:
✨ You were created vibrant and beautiful.
✨ Life is messy and imperfect.
✨ And you are deeply LOVED exactly as you are.

Happy Jacaranda Season! 💜🌿

04/20/2026

We’re so excited to introduce a special milestone for Jacaranda Rising—our very first intern! 🎉

Please join us in welcoming and thanking Lessly for choosing Jacaranda Rising as her nonprofit organization to intern with this semester. We’re incredibly grateful to have her on our team!

Lessly will be supporting our work through social media, website design, and workshop creation—helping us expand our reach and better serve the young adults in our community. At the same time, she’ll be gaining hands-on experience in how nonprofits are managed and how impactful programs are built and run.

Lessly, we’re so thankful for your heart to learn and serve. We’re lucky to have you with us! 💜

Interested in getting involved with Jacaranda Rising? Learn more here: https://www.jacarandarising.org/how-you-can-help

04/17/2026

Since we have some new faces here, we’d love to (re)introduce our Founder & Executive Director, Alison Bodager.

Alison is the heart behind Jacaranda Rising. Her passion has always been to walk alongside youth who are navigating life on their own—and that commitment shapes everything we do. Love is the driving force behind our work and the lens through which every decision is made.

As Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” That belief is woven into the fabric of Jacaranda Rising.

Originally from Ohio, Alison moved to Los Angeles County in 2010 to work at an after-school program in Skid Row. After years in the nonprofit sector—and time spent working as a paralegal—she took a leap of faith and began working on Jacaranda Rising in 2020.

This year, we celebrated our 5th anniversary on March 22—the day we officially received our nonprofit status, and, ironically, also Alison's birthday. What a milestone!

We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported Alison and her vision along the way—our volunteers, donors, and prayer warriors. Because of you, Jacaranda Rising has served over 140 young people and continues to grow. 💜

04/11/2026

I still remember the first time I met Jake.

It was the month of his 19th birthday. We showed up to the shelter with a small gift and his dessert of choice—chocolate chip cookies—hoping to make the day feel special for a young man who might otherwise go unseen.

Jake was quiet. Not expecting much. But something shifted, even in that small moment.

I didn’t know then that it would be the beginning of a two-year journey together through Jacaranda Rising.

After that day, Jake started coming to workshops. Then he kept coming. He asked questions. He built friendships with me and our volunteers. Before long, he was planning his schedule around our visits—choosing connection, choosing community, choosing to belong.

Over time, we watched Jake begin to believe in himself.

With support through our continuing education program, he pursued his guard card—and I’ll never forget the text he sent when he passed. The pride. The confidence. The shift.

Today, at 21, Jake has moved into his own apartment through The Village Family Services.

The growth is undeniable. But more than that—it’s his spirit. His excitement about building a life of independence is contagious.

We are so very proud of him.

Jake’s story is a reminder that consistency, relationships, and showing up again and again can truly change the trajectory of a life.

And our hope, and my prayer, is simple: that he will never have to experience being unhoused and alone again.

Because now, he doesn’t have to. 💜

- Ali, Founder / Executive Director -
(Name and likeness changed to protect the privacy of Jake)

04/10/2026

36% of chronically homeless youth in Los Angeles County have a history in foster care, according to the 2024 Point in Time Count.

Behind that number are young people navigating adulthood without the stable support systems many of us take for granted.

At Jacaranda Rising, we walk alongside youth experiencing homelessness by providing life and job skills workshops, mentorship, birthday celebrations, continuing education guidance, school supply assistance, and more. Through relationship-based programming, we strive to be a consistent, supportive presence in the lives of young people who have experienced profound displacement and instability.

We believe every young person deserves not just resources—but community, encouragement, and someone who shows up.

04/04/2026

🎤✨ We’re honored and excited! ✨🎤

Jacaranda Rising is incredibly grateful to be the nonprofit chosen for the April 25th Comedy Night Fundraiser at the iconic Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena!

With an incredible lineup of 8 talented comedians, this is shaping up to be a night full of laughter, community, and impact — an event you won’t want to miss.

📅 Saturday, April 25
🚪 Doors open: 4:00 PM
🎭 Show starts: 4:30 PM
🎟️ Tickets: $25/person (plus a 2-item minimum)
🔞 Adults 18+ only

A huge thank you to for bringing this fundraiser to life and supporting the mission of Jacaranda Rising.

Come laugh with us, support a great cause, and make it a night to remember. We hope to see you there! 💜

Tickets for sale at: www.icehousecomedy.com

03/31/2026

🎷💜 Thank You for the Music! 💜🎷

A huge thank you to the incredible band who made our 5th Birthday Jazz Brunch so special! Your talent, energy, and beautiful live jazz created the perfect atmosphere for a morning filled with celebration, connection, and community.

We are especially grateful to you for helping us mark five years of Jacaranda Rising in such a meaningful way. The music truly brought the event to life and made the day unforgettable for everyone who attended.

Thank you for being part of our mission and for helping us celebrate this milestone in style. We appreciate you! 🎶✨

📷 : Darrell Johnson

03/26/2026

In 2025, there were 2,435 young people ages 18–21 in the foster care system in Los Angeles County, according to DCFS. Studies show that 22–30% of youth who age out of foster care experience homelessness during their transition to adulthood — compared to just 4% of the general population over a lifetime.

These realities are why Jacaranda Rising exists.

We walk alongside young adults as they enter independence — supporting those still in foster care and those who have aged out and are now living in transitional shelters. Our mission is to help rewrite these statistics by providing stability, support, and opportunity during one of life’s most critical transitions.

This work is only possible because of our community. To our donors and volunteers: thank you for standing with us and empowering young adults to build bright futures. 💜

Address

263 W Olive Avenue #177
Burbank, CA
91502

Telephone

+18189340778

Website

http://www.jacarandarising.org/

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