2019 Fall Letter

Dear Friends:
You, as a Jackson Street supporter, are
making an incredible impact on the
future of our community. By supporting
our work, you help youth avoid
homelessness and a hard, hopeless life on
the streets.
It’s a difficult issue, but the daily process we
use in this work is simple – listening, learning,
and doing. Because each youth’s story is
unique, our work takes an extraordinary
combination of kindness, consistency, and
persistence – never giving up on youth even
when they try to push you away.
Our amazing staff does this every day,
24/7/365—because of YOU.
If you’ve read some of my previous
letters, you’ve heard many of our youth tell
their stories in their own words. This tale will be a little different. You’ll read
about a youth’s journey from the perspective of staff members who work with
these youth day in and day out – kindly and knowledgeably persisting even
when youth put up barriers – and providing the opportunities for learning and
growth that move these young people forward.
We trust the process of listening and learning and doing.
We're always asking, "Did we do everything we could for this youth?"
I first met Leslie at one of our drop-in centers when she was in
middle school. She walked up a bit timidly and ate a
granola bar and had some hot chocolate. Food is a
wonderful welcoming tool and a good way to start building
relationships, which is a significant component of my job.
The youth we serve often don't feel safe at home or around
most other adults. Their lives are messy and sometimes
dangerous. I’m trained to be aware of these difficult issues
and to listen. When Leslie walked in to the drop-in center,
she was given food and kindness, and we began building
trust by getting to know each other – playing board games,
word games like "Would you rather?" and letting a dialogue
happen naturally. That day Leslie told me that she had just
come out to her parents and was feeling scared.

Every story is different and we honor that.
It’s a relationship and we start building on that right away.
Leslie struggled at home through
middle school and into high school,
and even though she was still a few
years away from turning 18, her
parents had told her she'd be moving
out on her 18th birthday. A school
counselor let her know about the
possibility of housing through Jackson
Street’s transitional living program,
Next Steps. Not so timid anymore,
Leslie proactively sent in an application,
and found out she could begin
attending PS-541, a support group
open to older youth. PS-541 teaches
skills for independence – practical
things like budgeting and nutrition –
and helps youth gain confidence in
social situations. Leslie also started
working one-on-one with me, her
Case Manager, and set goals for
herself including finding her first job.
When things at home began escalating, Leslie felt unsafe again. Not 18 yet,
she was still too young for our Next Steps program. She wanted to come to
our emergency shelter but was worried about her parent's reaction. What if
going to Jackson Street meant she was no longer welcome back at home?
We don’t get pushed away. We don’t leave.
When youth exit shelter, other parts of our program catch them.
I met with Leslie on a Wednesday afternoon and gave her a tour of our
shelter. Leslie was pleasantly surprised by the brightly painted walls,
artwork, and a group baking project happening in the
kitchen. She was pleased to learn that she'd get 15
minutes of "bathroom time" for showering and getting
dressed, which was a lot more time than she was
allowed at home.
About two weeks later Leslie finally talked to her parents
and explained why she wanted to try a stay at our
shelter. At first, Leslie's parents thought we were a "hotel
for kids who wanted to run away." Thankfully, after we
talked they saw the benefit of a shelter stay for Leslie
and were willing to participate in family mediation.

Youth must often “relearn” how relationships with adults should work.
Old, destructive patterns can be interrupted with kindness—and rebuilt.
Early in her stay, Leslie began to test the rules and have outbursts when
things didn't go her way. When safety at home isn't the norm, the easiest
thing to do is act out and try to get back to the "normal" you know – lots
of yelling or worse. But none of Jackson Street’s staff ever yelled back at
Leslie, even on the day she slammed the door. I asked Leslie to take
some time by herself away from other youth to just be mad. After she
calmed down, I talked to her about coping skills – tools she could use to
stay in control of her own emotions and behaviors. Together, we walked
back through the events that had just occurred. What had been building
up, and what had tipped her over the edge?
We aim for consistent learning and consistent growth.
It’s not always a smooth progression, but that’s normal and expected.
At first she just blamed others for making her mad and making her act
out. I could empathize. Leslie certainly had a lot in her life she could be
mad about; she’d had no one to reliably guide her, and had been
having to make decisions far beyond her maturity level for a very long
time. Going back through the events that brought her to this point
helped Leslie unpack a lot of anger and stress she'd been carrying.
Together, we made a "break plan" to use if those feelings of crisis and
anger came back. Leslie said she'd pay
attention to how she was feeling and tell
staff when she was beginning to feel
escalated and out of control so the staff
could allow her some time to herself in
the backyard with her journal.
Day-to-day at the shelter, Leslie knew
what was coming next. This kind of
stability and predictability was a very
different pattern for her compared to
what she'd experienced at home.
She actually found it “scary” at first,
but she soon settled in and liked the
routine. She learned how to do her
laundry, and especially enjoyed
evening meals with everyone sitting
together at the dinner table. Leslie
began caring more about school, and
I helped her draft her first résumé.

Our continuum keeps youth moving forward.
Your support for Jackson Street makes that progress possible.
After staying at the shelter for a few weeks, Leslie was ready to
move back to her parents’ home until she turns 18 and is eligible for
our Next Steps transitional housing program. She agreed to
participate in Aftercare Case Management so she can continue to
build coping skills and prevent blowouts that could lead to being
kicked out or running away. If Leslie ever needs shelter again,
I’m glad she knows we are here for her.
Did you notice? Because she put in some hard work to learn and grow, and
because Jackson Street is here to help, Leslie isn’t now – and may never be –
homeless. Her life is taking a different, positive direction. That’s one less
vulnerable teen hanging out on the streets with nowhere to go and a doubtful
and dangerous future.
Because of a community of caring donors like you, we ARE here for her.
Please make a donation today so that more youth like Leslie will have a safe
place to sleep tonight AND guidance to learn crucial life skills that will lead to a
better and more stable future. All youth deserve the opportunity to learn and grow
instead of getting stuck in
negative patterns brought
on by trauma and poverty.
Your donation allows these
youth get the help they need
to be safe, healthy, and happy.
Sincerely,
Executive Director
Jackson Street
Youth Services
Your donation ensures youth are supported on their
journey by caring, highly-trained Jackson Street staff.
P.S. There is an urgency to this request. Youth who are at risk of becoming
homeless are at a turning point in their lives when rapid positive action can
change their life trajectory from a downward spiral into chronic poverty and
dependency to an upward trend toward self-sufficiency and long-term wellbeing.
Jackson Street has the skills and knowledge to invest your donation by
actively and systemically addressing the needs of each youth in crisis.
Give today and help us make youth homelessness rare, brief, and one-time.