Building trust and engaging homeless teens is critical to our success. Over 80% of the youth we serve have been physically, sexually or mentally abused and have yet to build a safe, healthy relationship with an adult. We provide several programs designed to build this trust:
Drop In
is a safe place where homeless teens can go to have their basic needs met, such as meals, clothing and showers, while interacting with staff to develop trust and connection with a supportive community. A music studio, art classes, and recreational outings assist youth in feeling comfortable and more willing to engage in our services.
Once youth are engaged, they are paired with a case manager who helps them develop a plan to exit street life. Our case managers also provide the support necessary to deal with past issues through counseling, Family reunification, drug and alcohol treatment and crisis intervention.
Drop-In serves 160 meals per day.
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Street Outreach
is a component of our work that reaches out to youth who are unaware of our services or have significant barriers getting to our facility to access them. We do this by sending counselors to areas where homeless youth live, to engage them with New Avenues or other services that are available to them.
Road Warrior
is a program that works to engage youth that do not access our services, but are in extreme need of doing so. Twice per week, we serve dinner and watch a movie, while staff engage youth and build trust, while recommending our services or those of another agency.
: Last year, nearly 500 youth attended the New Avenues Road Warrior site.
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