Housing & Food
Safe, stable transitional housing for young adults 18–24, with meals, case management and a plan for what comes after.
Confidential location
WHALER's Creation gives current and former foster youth what a family would: a safe place to live, a trade worth having, and people who stay. Job training 14–24. Job placement assistance 16–24. Housing and food 18–24. Certificates awarded. Meals provided.
WHALER's Creation began in Washington, D.C. with one job: tell the public how badly older foster youth need foster parents, adoptive parents and mentors. In 2009 we launched History on Stage, a performing arts program for teens in care who wrote, produced and staged their own work across D.C., Northern Virginia and Southern Maryland — turning hard history into something they owned.
Hundreds of young people later, we're in Las Vegas. The mission didn't change; the toolkit got bigger. Today we pair housing and food with job training, financial literacy and real career exposure — because a young person who ages out at 18 with no lease, no résumé and no one to call is facing a coin-flip risk of homelessness.
We give guidance, support and love — not handouts.
W.H.A.L.E.R. carries the first names of six people whose devotion to family, love and community became the foundation this organization was built on.
To raise awareness about the critical need for foster and adoptive parents and mentors for older youth transitioning out of foster care into independent living — and to provide the life skills training in employment, financial literacy, housing and nutrition that cuts the 50/50 risk of homelessness this population faces.
A future where life skills services reach older teens and young adults aged 14–25 across cities, coasts and nations. Every child deserves a family bond — biological or chosen. Family is defined by the strength of the connection, not by biology.
Foster. Adopt. Mentor. Investing in the lives of youth — with support, love and connections that outlast a case file.
Every track ends somewhere real — a certificate, a paycheck, a lease, a mentor who picks up the phone. In person or virtual, with meals provided at every session.
Safe, stable transitional housing for young adults 18–24, with meals, case management and a plan for what comes after.
Confidential locationRésumés, interviews, workplace readiness and direct placement support — plus mentors who walk through their own career path out loud.
Ages 16–24Kitchen fundamentals, food safety and service — skills that hire fast in a restaurant town and feed a household for life.
Certification trackScriptwriting, production, stagecraft, set design, wardrobe and sound — the program that started it all, still running.
Since 2009Broadcast, video production, editing and on-air work — feeding KFAM Youth Radio and the Youth News magazine.
Studio accessRecruitment, training and a standing community for foster and adoptive parents and mentors of older youth.
Open to new familiesHands-on repair and maintenance skills — the kind that pay hourly from week one and keep a first apartment livable.
Certificate trackCamera work, editing and reporting — our photographers and writers staff Youth News magazine and cover community events.
Portfolio buildingMoney management, budgeting, credit and banking — plus nutrition and life skills, offered year-round to every participant.
All ages 14–24Our residences serve young adults 18–24 who are aging out of foster care — including young mothers and their babies. Residents get their own space, meals, case management, and a seat in every training program we run. Nobody gets a bed without also getting a plan.
For the safety of the young people and children living with us, our residential addresses are never listed online, on directories, or in our mailing. All contact runs through our intake line and mailing address below.
A working board — child welfare, mental health, workforce development, operations and marketing.
A no-nonsense executive director with a background spanning advocacy, management and the arts. A former cancer lobbyist who fought for healthcare reform and clean air ordinances nationwide, Dr. Kern has served as President/CEO, resident counsel and resident manager for large apartment complexes, managed a local newspaper branch, and worked as a talent scout and teacher for two modeling agencies. She holds a B.F.A. in Broadcast Media/Theater and an M.A. in Arts Management — both of which run straight through WHALER's programming. She and her husband have served as foster and adoptive parents to more than 100 children.
Founder of Sugar and Spice Las Vegas, a workforce development site supporting foster youth and young adults with intellectual disabilities, autism and mental health challenges. B.A. in Deaf Studies (CSUN), M.Ed. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies (University of Georgia), and 25 years in education.
CEO of Freedom Change Success, LLC and an advocate in men's mental health. Dually licensed in Nevada and Florida, he provides in-person therapy in Las Vegas and telehealth across both states, working with men and couples on identity, purpose and lasting change.
Founder & CEO of Empireify Agency, with over a decade in global digital marketing alongside authors, speakers and business leaders. Previously held a pivotal role at the world's largest business coaching firm.
Retired senior executive in private physical security, having served as SVP of HR, VP/Controller and SVP of Operations with oversight of multimillion-dollar contracts and thousands of staff. B.S. in Business Administration, Rutgers. Kinship caregiver for eleven years.
We're looking for people who can open doors — in workforce development, real estate, child welfare and philanthropy.
Express interestTwo platforms built and staffed by the young people in our programs.
Our youth-run station — programming produced, hosted and engineered by participants in the media arts track.
Listen liveStarted as Just Like Me, written by current and former foster youth. Now authored by youth, parents and community leaders — including the "Ask Lillie" advice column.
Read the latest issueMost of what these young people need isn't money. It's an adult who shows up twice.
Older youth are the least-requested and most-needed placements in the system. We'll walk you through Nevada's licensing process.
A few hours a month, consistently. Career mentors are especially needed in culinary, media and skilled trades.
Cash gifts fund housing and meals. We also accept new clothes (every size), gift cards, household goods, school supplies and kitchen equipment.
Employers, agencies and companies: hire our graduates, host a training cohort, or sponsor an event.
Our next event: the Wealth Building Summit & Hiring Fair — bringing employers, financial educators and young job seekers into the same room.
For referrals, partnerships, media requests and board interest.