PALMDALE, Calif. — When she was 17 years old, Fairuz Azra was looking for connection as a high school student, and she found it in an unlikely place.
What You Need To Know
Wolf Connection is a nonprofit based in Palmdale
LA County approved a $260,000 increase in funding for Wolf Connection this fiscal year
Roughly 40% of 16 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. say they feel consistently lonely or anxious, according to the National Institute of Health
Azra went to Wolf Connection, a nonprofit based in Palmdale that connects people with wolfdogs.
“Relationships and friendships, I think that’s something that I was missing,” she said. “Finding a sense of community, and that longing is what kept me coming back.”
Azra is 20 years old now and enjoyed Wolf Connection so much that she’s working as a mentorship leader and junior volunteer with the organization.
“Typically, I learned to suppress and not feel into what I was feeling,” Azra said. “Through mentorship, and through those programs, and through the wolves, I kind of learned how to not just address my feelings, but work with and through them.”
There are 47 wolves living in the area, which is nestled up in the mountains. And with more than 160 acres, the wolves have plenty of room to roam. None of the wolves are from the same pack. And were bought to Wolf Connection after things didn’t work out in typically domesticated situations.
Participants in the program vary in age, and Wolf Connection aims to help people handle social anxiety issues, depression, PTSD and more.
The goal is to build a connection with the wolves, who have their own journeys as well. Some of the wolves came in alone, and have learned to come together as a pack.
With California having the highest number of foster youth in the country, Wolf Connection aims to help some of them find a sense of belonging.
“Wolves are OK with being who they are,” said Kristopher Espiritu, who’s a program lead and stewardship coordinator at Wolf Connection. “And being a part of a pack that just accepts you as you are, and completely and fully. Some of these kids that come to us, especially the foster youth, maybe they’ve never experienced that in their life.”
Participants go through an 8-week program that focuses on building connection and finding their individual voices.
Emely Chinchilla is a 24-year-old who also works for the organization. She joined the team after enjoying her experience as a participant when she was 17 years old.
“I felt like I’d been silenced before, growing up. Like showing emotions was really hard for me, like especially crying,” she said. “Throughout my program, my journey here, I got to feel more comfortable. I shed a lot of tears here.”
The LA County Board of Supervisors approved an increase of $260,000 for the program, which will help Wolf Connection serve around 150 more youth this fiscal year.
For Azra, the experience has been life-changing, and she’s found a sense of connection and belonging, not just with the wolves but also with the staff there.
“I’ve definitely learned how to communicate and connect authentically, and being myself,” she said. “Like presenting myself as me and being able to show up as I am.”