"Children are the world's most valuable resource and its best hope for the future."
—John F. Kennedy

I think we would all agree with the above statement in principle, but the truth is that we have not fully shown it in our actions.

We are all so busy (myself most definitely included) with our own lives that we are lucky if we can focus on the future of the children and young adults in our own families, and we literally think about tomorrow without thinking about how our decisions affect the many more tomorrows of those who will inherit this city, country and planet.

I promise not to ask you to save the world in this small email, but I do want to challenge you with my own belief that we cannot afford to “throw away” any portion of the resources needed for our future. And that includes the amazing youth and young adults growing up in every part of our city.

Thanks to the Youth Action Board, which advises Louisville’s homeless service network, I have learned a lot about what it is to be homeless and young in our city.

And while I value knowledge that helps us provide better services for others, what I really want is to create a future for Louisville where no young person can provide first hand knowledge of what it is like to sleep in a car or tent with two small children; no young person can identify the best parking lots, elevators and viaducts to be safe from freezing; and no young person can share the fear of having to sell drugs or their own body to have a place to stay—or choose between domestic violence or sleeping on the streets.

I must tell you that this group of amazing young adults is also resilient and hopeful about their futures. They get back up and work to improve their lives even with the barriers of poverty; little or no family support; and difficulty navigating housing, education and employment systems on their own. What they need and request most are caring adults in their lives that they can trust to look out for their interests and listen to their stories.

I am excited to report that thanks to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and an amazing group of local advocates, Louisville received a $3.4 million renewable grant that has been awarded to a group of local agencies listed below. This funding will help the community collectively work to end homelessness for unaccompanied adults aged 24 and under in our city. And, while I am thankful for the amazing work of these agencies, they cannot do it without your help.

The first and easiest thing you can do is review the list of needs for the agencies listed below and reach out to share your resources. Each will see hundreds of young adults in need in the coming months and be working to not just help them get housing and education/jobs, but also to create a warm and welcoming home where they can envision an amazing future.

The second will take a greater commitment, but may be the most important thing you can do. Find one young person in need. It could be someone you already cross paths with and have worried about. It can be someone you meet by reaching out to one of the agencies below and asking for someone you can help. Take them to lunch, ask about their day and their dreams. Listen without judgement. It won’t always be easy, but if you can build some level of trust, you may gain as much as you give. And you may give someone the hope they need to change the future.​

Here are the list of our grant recipients with their needs:

• Centerstone of Kentucky has been awarded a services-only grant to fund a community-wide case manager based at TAYLRD drop-in center for homeless youth. Centerstone is in need of no rinse bathing cloths, hand warmers, hats, gloves, socks, underwear, books, board games (ages 16-24), pocket calendars, journals, snack bars and ready to eat healthy snacks.

• Family Scholar House has been awarded a services-only grant to fund the assistance of homeless youth to participate in Family Scholar House educational support and resilience programs. Family Scholar House is in need of food staples for their food bank because their students are not eligible for food stamps.

• Home of the Innocents and St. Vincent de Paul have been awarded a services and housing grant to fund a 24-unit transitional housing facility with scattered site rapid re-housing assistance as they transition to permanent housing. Home of the Innocents and St. Vincent de Paul are in need of sheets, blankets, towels and laundry baskets and if you go to to their website, you can see their Walmart gift registry.

• KentuckianaWorks has been awarded a services-only program to provide employment training to young adults in Louisville’s homeless programs. KentuckianaWorks also needs food staples and healthy snacks for young people who come for job training but also need a healthy meal and groceries. 

• YouthBuild, in partnership with many organizations (including LFPL, LUL, JCPS, and LYG), has been awarded a services-only grant to fund a comprehensive program that includes a community-wide housing navigator, four peer support specialists, and two case managers. In addition, YouthBuild has been awarded a grant for a housing-only program to fund 20 rapid re-housing vouchers to provide housing assistance for homeless young adults in employment programs. YouthBuild has an extensive wish list here.

• YMCA Safe Place has been awarded a grant to fund a services-only program to provide outreach, drop-in services, a crisis hotline, and three community-wide case managers plus two peer support specialists, as well as a service pool for transportation and food. YMCA is in need of ponchos, hats, gloves, sweats and hoodies and deodorant.

Thank you for believing in our young people.

Natalie

About Us

The Coalition for the Homeless's mission is to prevent and end homelessness in Louisville. We advocate for change, educate the public about the face of homelessness, and coordinate the work of our 30+ member agencies across the city. 

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