I. Annual Report 2010: Introduction

In 2010, YouthCare experienced an alarming increase in demand. By the end of the year, more than 4,500 young people had accessed YouthCare services; in 2008, that number was just over 2,000. 

This speaks above all to the devastating impact of the economic crisis. Of course, we still saw youth thrust into homelessness for all the usual, tragic reasons, including physical and sexual abuse at home, being thrown out for being gay, or aging out of foster care without sufficient preparation or support.

More and more, though, these kids were telling us, “My parents just can’t afford to keep me.” Meanwhile, financial stress pushed countless families into dangerous, even life-threatening levels of dysfunction, and children fled. The upshot was that many more young people — on their own, on our streets — had to bear a burden that should never have been theirs to bear.

Thanks to the generous support of this community, YouthCare was there for them. We were also able to continue in 2010 to expand and innovate in providing services to our most vulnerable youth. You’ll read elsewhere in this report about the establishment of our Young Adult Shelter at the James W. Ray Orion Center; our new YouthBuild employment training program; and the opening of the Bridge Program for sexually exploited youth.

Unfortunately, there is no sign of this flood tide of youth homelessness abating. We expect to see similarly elevated levels of demand in 2011. It is crucial that we ensure our broad and necessary array of programs stays in place.

Homeless youth need the same things any young person does: food, shelter, education, preparation for employment, a caring adult to turn to for advice and protection. In addition, to recover and prosper, they require comprehensive services to overcome unique challenges. It’s called a “continuum of care,” and YouthCare is preeminent in this community when it comes to knitting that together. While other organizations serve the same population, no other provider in our region presents young people with such a range of solutions and support.

We also adopted a new logo and tag line in 2010. In three brief phrases, it sums up everything we do:

Despite the complexity of our organization and our task, it all comes down to a simple progression. Meet these homeless youth. Get them to a safe place. Support them as they begin and pursue the long, life-changing process of building themselves a better future than they might have hoped for — before they found YouthCare.

Melinda A. Giovengo, PhD	Susan L. Coskey
Executive Director	Board Chair

Table of Contents:

• YouthCare Continuum of Care: Engage, Stabilize, Prepare
• Strengthening our Infrastructure
• 2010 Financial Statements
• Donors and Supporters