KLAMATH FALLS, OR— Invisible People
Press Release:
Youth Rising, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting youth aged 12–17 in Klamath Falls, is now in the midst of expanding its services offered at the Youth Rising Drop-In Center – with plans to open a new youth emergency housing shelter in Klamath Falls.
According to new data from the National Center for Homeless Education, nearly 1.4 million U.S. students under the age of 18 are homeless, while the Klamath County school district identified approximately 292 students as homeless in 2018, according to a press release.
However, these statistics underestimate the homeless youth population due to the large number of youth that may be “couch-surfing,” living in a vehicle, or with extended family. Youth homelessness is becoming increasingly prevalent among youth as young as 10-12 years, who are often faced with the terrible choice to remain in neglectful or abusive homes – or go out on their own.
“With minimal emergency shelter options in Klamath County, we have found there to be a consistent problem trying to place youth due to a significant lack of available youth shelter beds in our area,” said Vickie Kaber, a Youth Rising board member and previous employee with the Klamath County Juvenile Department.
In order to provide a safe, secure place for youth within our community, Youth Rising has recently closed escrow on the former Gospel Mission building in downtown Klamath Falls. The 20,000 square-foot main building will be remodeled into an emergency shelter and transitional housing, with separate housing for girls and boys, a gymnasium, kitchen, laundry room and recreation area, as well as workshops for teaching life and employability skills. The group hopes to raise $600,000 to complete the reconstruction.
The Youth Rising House (YRH) will also eventually remodel an existing 2-bedroom house to provide additional shelter options for pregnant or parenting teens.
“All young people deserve a safe place to sleep. The Youth Rising, House won’t just be about providing a building to warehouse youth, which is often the case with homeless shelters,” said Tasha Locks, founder and executive director of Youth Rising.
Community support will be vital in assisting Youth Rising to rehabilitate a rundown building into the new youth shelter, as well as supporting the expansion of the Drop-In Center and its new services.
However, according to Youth Rising’s new Development Coordinator, Hallie Winchell, these changes will also benefit families in Klamath County by adding new family-wage jobs to the economy. The Youth Rising, expansion projects are expected to provide approximately 25 new jobs over the next two years.
These positions will include construction positions during the remodel, and once the YRH is open it will require operational and administrative positions, plus dedicated, caring adult staff members will be needed at the Drop-In Center. Several other opportunities will also become available as the organization expands.
In addition, Youth Rising is currently working to apply for multiple federal grants over the next several months, and the organization will announce plans to launch a long-term fundraising plan for the new YRH, expanded YR Drop-In Center, and new youth services during May 2019.
“We are determined to construct an environment through the Drop-In Center and our new shelter that will help local youth and young adults thrive. We will also offer social programming and mental health support,” Locks said. “Through our integrated services at both locations, we won’t just be providing a place to stay – but a place for these young people to change their lives.”
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