The Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse, NY, a local non-profit that helps provide food, clothing and shelter to those experiencing hunger and homelessness in Central New York, celebrated the grand opening of its newest program, an emergency youth shelter for children between the ages of 12-17 years of age.
“Providing shelter for young people experiencing homelessness is the responsibility of the entire community: foundations, churches, businesses, organizations, government and any other adult in the room. They are our future and need our help now,” says Rescue Mission CEO Dan Sieburg.
This new program, known as the Alejandro Garcia Runaway and Homeless Youth House, will house nine youth at risk of or currently experiencing homelessness. Rescue Mission Alliance representatives joined with government officials, donors, and community members to celebrate with a ribbon-cutting and tours of the facility.
Studies indicate that 1 in 30 adolescents in the United States will experience homelessness each year. For youth identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, homelessness is more prevalent. LGBTQ+ adolescents experience homelessness at more than twice the rate of their non-LGBTQ peers.
The Alejandro Garcia Runaway and Homeless Youth House, while open to any youth in Onondaga County in need of emergency shelter, will provide a safe, accepting, and affirming space for youth that identify as LGBTQ+.
Children that stay at the Rescue Mission’s Runaway and Homeless Youth House will have access to private bedrooms, three meals a day, snacks, washers and dryers, and an entertainment room. The facility is staffed 24-hours a day, and all youth will receive trauma-informed care, support and case management during a difficult time in their lives. The ultimate goal of the program is to, whenever possible, reunite runaway and homeless youth with family or trusted adults currently in their lives to provide a safe, supportive living environment.
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