PROFESSIONAL, BUT COOL

How do you do, fellow kids?

Shiny and Chrome takes its name from a popular blessing in Mad Max: Fury Road. We don’t look like we rolled out of a movie all of the time, but the ingenuity, creativity, and resourcefulness seen in post-apocalypse media is something we strive to achieve in all of our work.

Those of us in child advocacy and especially who have endured systems know that every bit of aid counts, and those with specialized skills are vital to the community’s survival. We hope to keep showing those that we work with that there is beauty and usefulness in things, and people, who don’t quite match up to conventional standards.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH CARS?

We believe one of the keystones to an independent, successful adult life for anyone in America is the skill of driving, and owning a personal vehicle.  Driving and having personal transportation are integral bastions against unemployment, becoming unhoused, or being forced into unsafe situations.  Yet foster teens are discouraged from driving and owning cars both financially and systemically.  We are here to bridge that gap, along with many others that we have found through our own time spent in foster care and without family support. 

Nationally, less than 5% of teens in foster care obtain a license.  Worse, it’s not feasible to simply get a license and car upon exiting care.  Alumni often do not have access to trusted adults with enthusiasm and knowledge about cars to assist with buying a vehicle or maintaining one, much less learning how to drive one.  We are here to bridge that gap, along with many others that we have found through our own time spent in foster care and without family support. 

We could say a lot more here, but this is all covered in our programs and Articles of Organization. If you’d like to read more on what we actually do, check out the programs page.

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VALUES

Authenticity	We strive to present our best selves, to mean what we say and say what we mean. We know that nobody can ‘read’ people like those with lived experience in child welfare systems.  We remove the need to figure us out.  We will always be honest and put our full hearts into the work we do.
Knowledge	Marie Curie once said “Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.”  We are thirsty for knowledge and wisdom. So we are always learning, and we are always seeking to share what we have learned.  Sharing information freely is something we strongly believe in. We also believe sharing of knowledge is paramount to survival of the working class.
Courage	Living is decidedly hard, for most of us at some point.  It’s not an overstatement to say Living is a sublime act of courage.  In navigating life after care, we lead with the paradox of courage in mind; to have it, one must also have fear.  We believe in doing things afraid, and by that, building self-confidence, and the ability to advocate for ourselves and others.  Over time this leads to trust in ourselves and each other.  It also leads to curiosity, and creativity.
Laughter	Humor is life’s greatest medicine.  In our apocalypse-adjacent world, it’s also a revolutionary partaking.  Who brings fun, whimsy, creativity and flamboyance to a space wracked with loss, grief, and grim outcomes?  The rebels.  We do it, and you should too.  Humor and hardship are brothers, and (much like fear and courage) cannot exist without each other.

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THE TEAM