Hollywood Popular Artists

May 14th 2013, 20:32

Ne-Yo's fifth album title, R.E.D., is an acronym for "Realizing Every Dream," and since 2007, Ne-Yo and his business partner Raynell Hay have been helping disadvantaged youth realize theirs. We recently sat down with the talented singer and actor to discuss his organization -- The Compound Foundation -- and why it is so important to him.

The Compound Foundation aims to give children in foster and group homes the tools and skills they need to succeed on their own. Its initiatives include college scholarships, an entrepreneurship training program, and music therapy to, "create a sense of unity, teamwork and spark creativity in foster youth."

"The life of a foster child is a very unstable life," says Ne-Yo. "You're moving around a lot, so in the process of doing all that moving around, you might not pick up the life skill of balancing a checkbook or what it is to fill out a resume."

More than 20% of youth who check into homeless shelters come directly from foster care, but Ne-Yo believes that foster children deserve the same promising futures as those who grow up in more traditional households. "Your circumstances should never dictate where it is you go in life," he says. "Where you come from and where you go are two different things that have nothing to do with each other."

+ Watch Ne-Yo Talk About His Compound Foundation

Take action below to learn more about the Compound Foundation, and how to give or get help for America's disadvantaged youth.

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