Homelessness looks different for youth.
It may mean a child sneaking through a friend’s window so he or she has a floor to sleep on that night. Did you know that there are over 700 homeless youth in our community every single night?
Thanks to StarVista, up to six of these 700 children have a safe retreat at Your House South (YHS), which provides emergency and temporary housing for runaway and homeless youth and families in crisis. YHS provides a safe and supportive “time-out” for both the youth and the family, with the goal of reuniting the families in the end.
The appearance of YHS did not reflect the amazing services it provides. The house suffered from exterior dry rot, the furniture was worn, and the once cheery yellow paint had grown dingy over the years. The children at YHS deserve a bright and uplifting environment, and HIF set out to give them exactly that.
Equity Residential stepped up as a first-time Corporate Champion, and with the help of generous donors including Aquatek Plumbing, American Technologies, Inc., HD Supply, Cort Furniture Rental, BKB Construction, M Rizzo Landscape & Maintenance, and Turnkey Construction, we transformed YHS. Fresh paint brought the yellow exterior back to life and the property received landscaping and outdoor furniture to ensure the youth have a relaxing and comfortable place to enjoy this summer. The dry rot was removed and plumbing issues were fixed. Finally, the hang-out space got a facelift with new lights, a soft grey paint color, and new furniture (the children particularly love their new big-screen TV!).
After the $32,000 worth of repairs were complete, StarVista’s Department Director, Peter Ehrhorn, stated “The positive energy, hard work and respectful manner in which the volunteers helped improve the lives of our county’s young people was absolutely inspiring!”
See all before, during, and after renovation photos here!