I’m here today with Brian Young, who works with Youth Services of Tulsa. We’d like to share all the wonderful things this organization is doing for our community.
Youth Services of Tulsa is a nonprofit partner agency of the Tulsa Area United Way. They’re celebrating their 50-year anniversary this year.
The agency works with teenagers and young adults, and they’re the only organization in the area that focuses on these age groups. They offer a full continuum of care to end youth homelessness.
Brian sees a lot of runaway and homeless youth end up in their facilities. They offer safe places to stay and hold outreach programs during the day where youth can have their basic needs met.
They have 20 beds in their facility and have helped 300 different individuals in their shelter within the last year.
Many come to Youth Services of Tulsa through their safe place program, which is advertised throughout the area. If an adolescent is going through a crisis and needs immediate help, a volunteer can pick them up and bring them to the shelter.
A common misconception is that youth become homeless through some fault of their own. The vast majority are simply going through hard times. A third of the homeless youth population, for example, is made up of 18-year-olds who aged out of foster care and don’t know how to make it on their own.
You can help support Youth Services of Tulsa through donations or volunteer work. They rely on both in order to operate, and they also need items such as underwear and socks. To see how to donate and learn more about the organization, visit www.YST.org.
I’d like to thank Brian for giving us an insightful look at this wonderful organization. If you have any questions or would like more information, feel free to reach out to me. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
