HOUSTON, April 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Within three years of leaving the foster care system, 80% of young adults face homelessness, incarceration, or worse. Fewer than 2% will ever earn a college degree, a reality that locks one generation of poverty into the next. One in five will experience homelessness within the first year alone. These are not projections, they are the odds stacked against tens of thousands of young Americans every year, and the reason Petra Cares was founded.

On April 10, 2026, Petra Cares raised over $1 million at its 3rd Annual "Fueling Futures" Gala hosted at The Revaire in Houston. The dollars go directly to work to change lives:

ASE-certified automotive training, tools, scholarships, transportation, and wraparound support for young adults transitioning out of foster care or facing homelessness.

For students in the Petra Cares program, a credential is more than a resume line, it is the difference between a first apartment and security, and a shelter bed. In roughly three years, Petra has helped more than 140 young people through the program.

"Every dollar raised moves us closer to changing lives by breaking the cycles of poverty, homelessness, and instability. Together, we are building a better future for generations to come," said Brian Meza, executive director at Petra Cares.

A Mission Rooted in One Houstonian's VisionArnold Gacita, president of Petra Automotive Products, established Petra Cares around a simple but powerful premise: ...