Nonprofit organization Direction 61:3 has served youth that have aged-out or are close to aging out of foster care since its inception in 2017. The organization is aiming to grow its north McKinney facilities to serve an even larger population, Executive Director Myron Wilson said.

The approach

Wilson, a former worship pastor, said he first encountered a child in the foster care system in need through his church. The encounter inspired Wilson to help address the challenges foster youth face as they “age out” of the foster care system.

After forming the nonprofit, a home was donated to the organization that could be used to house foster youth in need. The organization now operates six homes across North Texas and is expected to open a seventh home for pregnant girls this fall, Wilson said.

Each home houses three to four individuals between the ages of 14-24 who are aging out or have already aged out of the foster care system in addition to trained adults acting as house parents, Wilson said. The organization also operates as a foster care agency.


“Without any one serving as an advocate, most of these kids end up becoming a statistic,” Wilson said, noting the potential for foster youth to become homeless after aging out. “Our goal is to be preventative and proactive versus reactive.”

The details

The faith-based organization aims to support the education of each program participant, both through a classroom setting as well as through practical life skills, Wilson said. A weekly Tuesday night gathering called “Thrive” offers program participants a chance to socialize, learn life skills and participate in spiritual conversations.

The organization also helps to support the transition out of the foster care system through career preparation and building relationships, according to its website.


“We try to point them in a healthy direction and we give them direction in their lives,” Wilson said.

The organization offers a program called Kingdom Cars, which allows participants to purchase a car from the organization for $2,500 once they meet a set of requirements.

“If they stay in a program for one year, we reimburse them their $2,500 with $200 interest,” Wilson said, “It's incentivized for them to have financial management skills.”

Participants often remain in the program for 1-2 years, Wilson said, but the organization helps to support each individual as they transition out of the program as well. About 85 individuals have participated in the program, he said.


One participant who has graduated from the program, Faith, now comes back to volunteer at Direction 61:3, Wilson said. Faith joined the program after aging out of foster care at 18 years old.

“If it hadn’t been for Direction 61:3, I would be homeless trying to figure it out on my own [and] not having anyone to go to,” she said.

Diving deeper

A new pool house facility is under construction at the organization’s main office, which will also serve as a private meeting space, but the organization is looking to grow to serve more foster youth, Wilson said.


The organization’s Launch a Legacy capital campaign is aiming to raise a total of $8.47 million for the construction of a community of homes to house aging-out foster youth.

The plan for the organization’s roughly 5-acre property in north McKinney includes 19 homes, an automotive shop for the organization’s Kingdom Cars program, garage carriage houses and recreational areas.

“We turned down anywhere from four to six youths a week that we don't have availability for and so we're trying to get this community of homes built so that we can help take in more kids,” Wilson said.

The plan also includes an event center with a coffee shop and some office space. The facility will be used as gathering space for the organization but will be available to rent by the public, Wilson said.


“It’s a revenue-generating facility that will support and pay for the utilities and the maintenance for the homes that we’re building,” Wilson said, noting that events such as church services and weddings could take place in the facility.

Wilson said the organization is looking to raise $3.8 million by the end of 2024, which would allow for construction to begin on the first phase of the project next year.

Get involved

Direction 61:3 accepts direct donations that support its operations and plans for expansion.

“[A donation of] $25 a month goes a long way to help us,” Wilson said.

The organization also looks for:
  • Meal donations or meal sponsorships for its weekly gatherings
  • Volunteers to help with tasks such as special events, tutoring, transportation and mentorship
  • Contributions to its back-to-school program
Direction 61:3 will also host its annual fundraiser, Christmas with Mosaix, later this year. The event is a concert at the McKinney Performing Arts Center featuring professional musicians, Wilson said.