Teen Health
Girls at Lavelle Mod Marathon

Our Why

Survive → ThriveBridging the Systemic Gap in Youth Nutrition

Lavelle School for the Blind, Bronx, NY

We rethink and repurpose resources to overcome the toughest challenges.

Each day, thousands of youth go without reliable meals, putting their bodies, minds, and futures in jeopardy. Many are living with food insecurity, poverty, homelessness, and the instability of the foster care system.

The Post-Pandemic Cliff: California Youth Poverty & Food Insecurity

California is facing a “post-pandemic cliff” in youth stability as federal and state relief programs have expired. The most vulnerable young people are seeing a sharp reversal in progress.

Children living in persistent poverty

Persistent Poverty

18.6%

of California’s children — 1.6 million — now live in poverty, more than double the 2021 rate.[7]

Youth in foster care

Housing & Foster Care

43,095

California children are in foster care[9] — nearly 1 in 3 face homelessness after aging out.[10]

Young person supported by Teen Health

Mental Health

1 in 5

U.S. adolescents experienced a major depressive episode in the past year, and transition-age youth (TAY) often go untreated.[6]

Young man supported by Teen Health

Food Insecurity

27%

of California households with children are food insecure, hindering educational and developmental outcomes.[8]

The Nutritional Psychiatry of Youth Trauma: The Brain–Body Connection

For young people, consistent nutrition is key to brain function. The brain relies on essential nutrients to regulate mood, manage stress, control impulses, and make sound decisions.[1] Housing instability and food insecurity lead to nutrient-poor diets, weakening the brain’s ability to cope under pressure. When undernourishment combines with trauma, anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation become more likely—making it harder for youth to stay safe, focused, and hopeful.

Mental Health & Daily Functioning

Chronic stress puts the body in survival mode, elevating cortisol levels and disrupting metabolism.[2] Over time, this raises the risk of obesity, hypertension, and insulin resistance, making it harder for youth to thrive.[12]

Food insecurity weakens immune function. Deficiencies in key nutrients like vitamins C, D, and protein lower the body’s defenses, increasing young people’s vulnerability to illness.[3]

Poor nutrition impacts brain health. Diets high in ultra-processed foods fuel inflammation and oxidative stress, impairing cognitive function and increasing the risk of depression and other mental health challenges.[11]

Carey kitchen supporting youth with meals
Dream Center, Los Angeles, CA

Health → Life Outcomes

Nutrition, Trauma & Lost Potential

Unmet biological and emotional needs have lasting effects on life outcomes. Deficiencies in nutrients like vitamin B12, B6, and omega-3 fatty acids can impair cognition, emotional regulation, and mental health.[4] Youth exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)—including poverty and trauma—face elevated risks of depression and anxiety, often struggling with focus, school performance, and resilience.[5] Without a stable biological foundation, these challenges compound into higher rates of dropout, unemployment, and housing instability.

Reaching Transition-Age Youth (TAY) Before Systemic Crisis

When basic needs go unmet, young people often seek safety and belonging wherever they can find it. Homelessness raises exposure to gang recruitment and street violence. Gangs can appear to offer food, protection, and community—needs the system no longer provides. Without early intervention, these pathways dramatically increase the risk of trauma, substance use, incarceration, and long-term instability—making it critical to reach youth before crisis becomes the norm.

Pallet of Body Armor drinks ready for distribution
Teen Health team with protein products

Why This Matters to Southern California Communities

Youth homelessness isn’t just a personal crisis—it’s a public health, safety, and economic issue. When basic needs like nutrition and mental stability go unmet, communities bear the costs through emergency care, justice involvement, and lost potential. But when young people are stabilized early—with food, mental health support, and consistent care—outcomes improve. Preventing homelessness and violence starts by meeting foundational needs and investing in youth before crisis leads to lifelong consequences.

Teen Health volunteer handing a beverage to a young man during distribution
North County, San Diego, CA

You’ve seen the gap. Now help close it.

Your support gives youth the nutrition and care they need to stay safe, stay focused, and keep moving forward.

Fund a Stable Foundation — Donate Today

Sources

  1. [1] Harvard Health Publishing — Nutritional psychiatry: Your brain on food
  2. [2] American Psychological Association — Stress effects on the body
  3. [3] NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Vitamin C Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
  4. [4] NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Omega-3 Fatty Acids Fact Sheet for Health Professionals
  5. [5] U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — About Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)
  6. [6] National Institute of Mental Health — Major Depression statistics (adolescents 12–17, past year)
  7. [7] California Budget & Policy Center — California’s Persistent Poverty Crisis: 2024 Rates Remain Alarmingly High
  8. [8] California Association of Food Banks — Hunger Data & Research (Census Pulse data)
  9. [9] Administration for Children & Families — AFCARS State Reports (California, FY2023)
  10. [10] Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago — California Youth Transitions to Adulthood Study (CalYOUTH)
  11. [11] Lane et al. — Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies (Nutrients, 2022)
  12. [12] Glucocorticoids and HPA axis regulation in the stress–obesity connection (Clinical Obesity, 2025)