Greater Good Project 2008
Local Project: The Center for Youth
The Center for Youth provides a variety of programs and services to youth who voluntarily seek their help. Most are victims of unfortunate family circumstances. Many have nowhere else to turn.
Since the receipt of the Greater Good donation The Center for Youth's emergency runaway and homeless shelter has seen a significant increase in demand in all aspects of its program. The length of stay has steadily increased, to an all time high of more than 14 nights per youth; the number of youth has increased and they project sheltering more than 300 youth in 2009, up from 245 in 2008. The demand for services and supports for older youth, as experienced across New York state and nationally, as the fastest-growing demographic, has required the Center to add transitional and independent living apartments to house them. Since 2007, however, there has been a significant reduction in funding from New York state and other sources.
With the support of the Greater Good fund the Center has been able to keep all facilities open and to maintain service quality. Half of the grant from the 2008 campaign has been targeted to support programs in emergency housing, transitional living, and street outreach. The remainder has been applied to programs for older youth, including emergency grants for medical or housing needs, transportation, training and career development, and child care and other expenses.
International Project: Honduras
Once again, The Greater Good Project directed the international portion of our collection to the Honduras Project, specifically to support the Middle School scholarships.
Most children in the San Jose region of Honduras have access to basic education through the sixth grade, but most do not successfully complete that level for a variety of reasons and do not imagine the possibility of furthering their education. Although school itself is free, most families are unable to pay for books, supplies, school testing fees and uniforms. A portion of the 2007 Greater Good collection supported a pilot program enabling 12 children from San Jose to attend middle school in nearby San Marcos de Sierra; the 2008 campaign added considerably to these funds. A second year of scholarship distributions will permit continuation and expansion of scholarship so that an additional 13 students can begin seventh grade while the first group moves on to eighth grade.
December 12 2010