Community Champions: The RightWay Foundation, Part II

LOS ANGELES - Thanksgiving with fellow former foster youth – that's how Franco Vega spent his holiday. 

With a heart of gold, Vega doesn't want anyone he mentors to be without during the festivities. As a former foster youth himself, the founder of The RightWay Foundation has a meal with his foster care family before joining his own wife and children.

Vega founded The RightWay Foundation to focus on housing and jobs for youth impacted by foster care and to address trauma. It's a perfect story on this day of lots of football. 

In 2021, the National Football League selected a handful of non-profits to honor with$10,000 in grant money. LA's Super Bowl Host Committee referred to these 56 non-profits as unsung heroes. Vega was among those honored at Inglewood's SoFi Stadium ahead of Super Bowl LVI in 2022. The trophy presented was a special football tribute. With a big smile, Vega said, "It's hard not to throw this ball. It's hard not to go outside and play catch."

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Community Champions: The Rightway Foundation

Vega bravely opened up about his painful childhood, stating, "I lost my dad to drugs and alcohol when I was ten." He also revealed that he endured abuse from his late mother, ultimately leading him to join a gang and enter the child welfare system.

However, Vega's own journey led him to establish The Rightway Foundation in 2011, aiming to support youth like himself who transitioned out of foster care. He attributes his own turnaround to therapy, a foster mom, and his time in the Army.

One of the foundation's success stories is 23-year-old Kenzo Sohoue, who expressed gratitude, saying, "The foundation has given me a lot of hope!" Sohoue participated in the foundation's Operation Emancipation program, and as a result, secured an internship with the Los Angeles Rams.

For more information, you can visit the Rightway Foundation's website by clicking here.