About Us

Who We Are

The People Union Inc. is a California nonprofit corporation founded in 2020 and recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. We serve young adults ages 18 to 28 who are transitioning out of the foster care system or returning to the community after incarceration: two groups who face adulthood with the fewest resources and the highest stakes.

Our Mission

To give young people leaving foster care or incarceration what every young person deserves: a safe home, a way forward, and a community that will not let them fail, so they can build sustainable, independent, purpose-filled lives.

Our Story

The People Union began in 2020 with a simple conviction: ordinary people, united, can accomplish what no one can accomplish alone. In the years since, our founders searched for the place where that conviction could do the most good. We found it in a painful gap in our own communities: the moment a young person ‘ages out’ of foster care or steps out of a correctional facility, society’s support ends precisely when it is needed most.

We are honest about where we are: our direct-service programs are launching now. We have no glossy history to sell you. Instead, we offer something rarer: the chance to be part of this work from day one, with complete financial transparency at every step. What we build, we build together.

Our Faith

The People Union is rooted in the Greek Orthodox Christian faith of its founders. We believe every young person carries the image of God and an inherent dignity that no case file or criminal record can erase. That belief is why we serve, and it shapes how we serve: with patience, mercy, and hope.

Our doors are open to young people of every faith and of none. Every service we provide, including housing, food, transportation, and job training, is offered without regard to religion, and participation in spiritual mentorship, prayer, or worship is always invited, never required.

Our Values

Dignity: we serve alongside young people, not above them; every program treats them as capable adults building their own future.
Family: we do what a healthy family does: show up, stay, and never give up on one of our own.
Stewardship: every dollar entrusted to us is published on our Transparency page; we answer to our donors and to God for how it is used.
Faith: our Greek Orthodox Christian roots call us to love our neighbor in deeds, not words alone.
Accountability: we set measurable goals, report our results honestly, and own our shortcomings.

Leadership

Sam Metry, Founder & President: [short bio: background, motivation for founding The People Union, 2–3 sentences].

[Board Member Name], [Title]: [short bio].

Our Vision

We begin in California, home to the largest foster care population in the nation. As resources and partners grow, we will carry this model to every state, because a young person’s ZIP code should never decide whether they get a second chance.