20,000 Safe Nights
This weekend, AcademySTAY passed 20,000 safe nights.
AcademySTAY is a Sacramento nonprofit providing housing and wraparound support for young adults ages 18 to 24 who have aged out of foster care. Our first student moved in on October 2, 2024. At AcademySTAY, a safe night is one night of housing provided to one student. It is a simple count, and it is easy to skim past. So here is what it holds.
What a safe night holds
It holds a young adult who aged out of foster care closing a door that is theirs. It holds dinner at a shared table, homework finished at a quiet desk, and a morning that starts with a plan instead of a worry. It holds 92 young people who have called this campus home since we opened, and the 50 who live here today.
What 20,000 nights means
Our Founder and Executive Director, Jenny Davidson, put it this way:
“When I think about 20,000 safe nights, I don't see a number. I see young people sleeping safely, waking up with hope, studying for exams, building friendships, and discovering what they're capable of. For young adults who have experienced foster care, a safe home can change everything. We've provided 20,000 nights of stability, but what we're really building is a bridge to their futures.”
What a safe night means to our students
The students say it better than we can. Johnny Hieu, a current AcademySTAY student, told us what a safe night means to him:
“At AcademySTAY, a safe night means I can sleep knowing I'm in a stable environment as I start my journey. Being able to focus on my goals and school without disruption has relieved a lot of tension and allowed me to concentrate on my career. Without a doubt, I wouldn't be thriving without the support of AcademySTAY.”
Nyna Bel, an AcademySTAY student, answered the same question this way:
“What a safe night means to me is being able to have a place or even a shelter where I know where I will be fed, clothed, being able to be given any needed resources. And especially as a woman, a safe night helps me know that I don't have to worry about being on the streets or in a dangerous situation where I can be taken advantage of.”
Stability is not the finish line. It is what lets a young person study, work, and plan, because they are not spending their energy on survival.
Thank you for every night
None of this happens alone. Twenty thousand nights were made possible by donors, volunteers, funders, neighbors, and partners who kept showing up. If you have given, volunteered, shared our story, or simply believed in this work, this number is yours too.
See a safe night up close
The next 20,000 are already underway. If you would like to see what a safe night looks like up close, we would love to show you around. Tours take about 30 minutes.
Learn more about AcademySTAY's housing and support for young adults at academystay.org.
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