Celebrate the YOU with Me
Last month the YOUth Resource Center celebrated their first anniversary. This is a HUGE achievement, truly. The Eddy House, the organization that developed and opened the downtown daily drop-in center for youth who are experiencing homelessness has changed the conversation and has made us all realize how many of our youth are struggling.
The YOUth Resource Center was opened based on the need, and on the faith that financial support would enable the operation to be established, to grow, and provide insight to ways we can help struggling and homeless youth improve their overall quality of life. It was not funded by a government grant, although I believe that would be a great use of our public dollars; instead, it is supported by many organizations, people, and foundations who care about youth.
The YOU still needs your help. You can learn more at http://www.eddyhouse.org/theyou.htm.
The Community Foundation supports the work The YOU is doing. We applaud the Eddy House for listening to our struggling youth's needs at the Community Foundation’s Youth Initiative convenings and addressing those needs through services offered through the YOU.
On Tuesday, I met with Jack, one of our donors, who likes to buy bus passes and drop them by the YOU. When we arrived the place was filled with young people, busy on computers or getting something to eat. The feeling was pretty positive.
The YOU has been collecting data about the youth who visit the center, and I’d like to share some of that with you.
We now know where they are sleeping at night. In the last three weeks, 34 young people reported they were staying in motels, sharing rooms they pay for together and hoping not to get kicked out because of the groups’ sizes. Another 20 youth are sharing an apartment or staying with a parent, 12 are sleeping “on the streets”, 11 are couch surfing, and 3 are staying at the family shelter but sleeping on tables and sitting in chairs at night because the shelter is short on beds. Two youth are staying in abandoned buildings, two are in treatment programs like Crossroads, and one is sleeping in his car. That is a total of 85 youth using the services of the YOU in the last month alone.
I am happy to share that the good work the YOU does is generating positive results. Since April 18th, 95 job applications have been completed, 22 interviews have been held, and 11 youth now have jobs. Exactly what we need!
Before leaving Jack noticed it was warm inside the YOU and offered to buy some fans. When we left, I headed back to the office, and he headed to the store. All of us can help. Whether you have time to volunteer, have a lead on a job opportunity, or can contribute funding, please consider helping out this operation.
You will be warmly welcomed if you would like to stop by to take a look at the work they are doing.
To learn more about the Community Foundation and our work in the community, or if you would like to join us in our work, please give me a call.
Chris Askin, President, and CEO
775-762-1932
Connecting people who care with causes that matter