Monterey, CA, May 26, 2022 – Community Human Services (CHS) has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Stevenson School Philanthropy Club. This much needed grant funding will provide operating support for CHS’s Safe Passage program for homeless youth. CHS has provided services to unaccompanied runaway and homeless youth for over 35 years.
Safe Passage is a co-ed transitional supportive housing program located in downtown Monterey. It offers six beds for homeless youth up to age 24, for 18-24 months. Services include case management, housing navigation, rapid rehousing support, linkages to income, employment and education, life skills classes, access to the internet, and mail service.
The need for services for homeless youth in Monterey County is well documented. The January 2019 bi-annual Monterey County Homeless Census identified 2,422 homeless individuals. Of that number, 324 were unaccompanied homeless children and transition-age youth (ages 18-24), of which 91% were unsheltered. Unsheltered youth often wind up sleeping in vehicles, abandoned buildings or outdoors in tents, parks, or under overpasses and which exposes them to harsh elements. (The 2021 census was cancelled due to the pandemic and the 2022 census data is not yet available.)
The Philanthropy Club from Stevenson School awarded 5 grants through this year’s project. The students worked on this project for 9 months developing selection criteria, creating rating rubrics, soliciting applications, scoring proposals, interviewing finalists, and selecting awardees.