THE BOBBY EDD PENSON

FUND

The Bobby Edd Penson Fund is designed to help with emergency expenses for young men and women who have aged out of foster care. The Fund serves as a safety net for youth who have no one else on whom they can rely.

“Technically you’re an adult at 18, but you’re still a kid. You still need the support of your family, to have parents cosign your first car loan, to help you get up on your feet, to establish yourself.” – Mary Ann Penson

Through the Bobby Edd Penson Fund, Hope & A Future can assist additional youth aging out of foster care in order to create better futures for themselves. Hope & A Future is grateful to Bobby and Mary Ann for their dedication to serving youth in foster care and are proud to share their legacy through Bobby’s extraordinary financial gift.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To receive assistance through the Bobby Edd Penson Fund, the youth must be in foster care or aged out of foster care in Arizona, ages 18 years up until the youth’s 27th birthday. Please contact Hope & A Future at 602-258-5860 to initiate a request for assistance through the Bobby Edd Penson Fund.

The Bobby Edd Penson Fund provides financial assistance in the following areas:

  • Automobile expenses, including down payments, repairs, driving courses and gas
  • Bus fares and parking passes
  • Graduation expenses
  • Vocational Tuition & Fees
  • Rent Assistance, including first and last month’s rent and security deposits
  • Utility deposits and monthly fees, including electric, gas, water and internet connection
  • Food
  • Clothing
  • Financial Literacy Education Expenses
  • Childcare Expenses
  • Job Placement Assistance
  • Financial Literacy Courses

When considering a request for assistance, the youth’s current employment and education status will be reviewed and discussed with the youth. Additionally, the youth will be asked to provide information about how they are going to sustain the requested funding once it has ended.

ABOUT BOBBY AND MARY ANN PENSON

Bobby and Mary Ann Penson learned about the struggles of children in foster care in 2009 when they first began volunteering to help foster children. Over time, their interest in helping children in foster care, particularly those aging out of care, grew stronger. The idea for the Bobby Edd Penson Award Fund was born of Bobby and Mary Ann’s desire to specifically help those youth who aged out of foster care.

When Bobby and Mary Ann met, Bobby worked for Lockheed as an airplane mechanic. They married and moved to California, where Bobby joined the sheet metal union as a journeyman and worked for 10 years. The couple bought an awning shop in Lakeport, CA and eventually started building houses. In the last 15 years of his career, Bobby was a contractor, buying land, building houses and selling them. Mary Ann was a teacher for many years.

Bobby Penson passed away on April 14, 2016. Please watch Bobby’s tribute video to remember the life of this remarkable man who worked hard his entire life and continues to impact foster youth today.

The Bobby Edd Penson Fund was created to help young men and women aging out of foster care find their successful future. The Penson’s wish is that youth will have assistance so their employment, education and vocational training is not derailed by financial hardships.