By Sebastien Vante
November 30, 2023
At the heart of Streetwork Project, Safe Horizon’s program for youth experiencing homelessness, is an inclusive community that values relationships between survivors and staff. For many of the young individuals who seek our assistance, working with a dedicated Streetwork counselor marks their first experience of a healthy, trusting relationship with an adult – one that is consistent and attentive to their unique needs. These connections create an environment where our clients feel safe and truly seen.
Recently, a growing number of migrant youth have been coming to our drop-in centers and crisis shelters for help. Many are fleeing persecution from West African countries and come to the states seeking asylum. We wanted to make sure that Streetwork felt like a safe and welcoming space for them.
What is Streetwork Doing to Help Migrant Youth?
We enlisted the assistance of translators to help us communicate with those who do not speak English, and soon realized that many were in need of prayer rugs. We ordered rugs for them to take and a few to keep onsite for when they dropped in. We connected many of the young people to resources such as ESL classes and other schooling. And for our annual fall harvest celebration meal, our chef prepared West African dishes including lamb and stews.
We are so proud to have a team that is dedicated to finding thoughtful ways to ensure that all young people feel acknowledged and welcomed within our space. To learn more about Streetwork Project, click here.
To contribute to Streetwork and Safe Horizon’s thriving community as a donor, click here.