September can be a busy month for teens and their families. Back-to-school preparation, end of the summer plans, switching into fall mode….there is certainly a lot to do this month! For many families, however, it can also be a stressful time. Will there be enough money for school supplies? What kind of grades will be brought home this semester? What is going on at home when parents are still at work? There are many concerns that families have, and many factors that contribute to these concerns. Fortunately, there is also a support for these families in crisis.
The Alternative House’s Teen Crisis Shelter is designed to serve families in need. If a teen is thinking about running away because of the arguments they’ve been having with their parents over school, if a parent does not know what to do because their child has been sneaking out of the house after curfew, or if a social worker needs information for a family that has been in conflict over a recent separation, the teen shelter is available to provide the needed services. Whether it is counseling over the phone on our toll-free 24-hour hotline, providing referrals and resources, or conducting individual, group, and family counseling with residents, the teen shelter helps families transition out of crisis.
Most recently, we helped a youth whose parent was hospitalized to find a safe and secure home with a relative, gave another youth a safe place to stay while she transitioned to a long-term mental health residential treatment center, and facilitated a reunification between a mother and her son, who had been out of the country for four years. Each month, no matter what time of year, brings positive changes to the lives of teens and families.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Opening Doors for Children
As the Development Director of Alternative House a big part of my job is to carry the message about our programs and services for homeless and at-risk youth and teens out into the community. I often speak to corporate, faith and civic groups. I enjoy telling them about how our programs help the young people we serve stay safe, stay in school, build their self esteem, learn valuable life skills and to become self-sufficient. I try to use examples of how our programs have helped individuals and families overcome difficulties.
What is even better then hearing me tell you these stories is to hear it directly from some of our clients and to meet some of our program staff. I would like to take the opportunity to tell you about the Alternative House second annual Benefit Breakfast Opening Doors for Children that will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. This event will be held at the Gannett Building in Mclean, it is free and it will only last one hour. During that hour our guests will hear from several of our clients, and have the opportunity to meet with program staff. You will also have the opportunity to see a video about Alternative House, meet our Executive Director and Board members.
Yes, this is a fundraising event. You will be asked for a donation. There is no donation too large or too small. We will consider this event a success if we are able to raise funds to continue providing our programs and services for youth, recruit new donors and volunteers who can offer us professional services. We want the opportunity to tell the Alternative House story to people who are interested in learning about us first hand.
If you would like to learn more about this event or you are interested in attending please contact me at 703 506-9191.
What is even better then hearing me tell you these stories is to hear it directly from some of our clients and to meet some of our program staff. I would like to take the opportunity to tell you about the Alternative House second annual Benefit Breakfast Opening Doors for Children that will be held on Wednesday, October 7, 2009. This event will be held at the Gannett Building in Mclean, it is free and it will only last one hour. During that hour our guests will hear from several of our clients, and have the opportunity to meet with program staff. You will also have the opportunity to see a video about Alternative House, meet our Executive Director and Board members.
Yes, this is a fundraising event. You will be asked for a donation. There is no donation too large or too small. We will consider this event a success if we are able to raise funds to continue providing our programs and services for youth, recruit new donors and volunteers who can offer us professional services. We want the opportunity to tell the Alternative House story to people who are interested in learning about us first hand.
If you would like to learn more about this event or you are interested in attending please contact me at 703 506-9191.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Our First Blog
This is the debut of the Alternative House “blog”. As the Executive Director I have the opportunity to be the first staff person to blog. At the moment, that seems like a mixed blessing. As Gina, our Development Director, commented when I asked her how long this piece should be, “your newsletter articles are always longer than they’re supposed to be. I’m sure you will have no trouble filling up the blog.” Faced with a blank piece of paper, however, that doesn’t seem so certain.
The thing that I am best at talking about or writing about are the kids who are in our programs and the staff and volunteers here at Alternative House who do such an amazing job, so that is what this first posting will be about.
Alternative House has helped thousands of young people over the 37 years we’ve been in existence. Just this past year, we helped 13 young mothers and 15 children in our Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) program and almost 200 young people at our Emergency Shelter for Teenagers. Our Outreach staff worked with more than 1,500 young people providing help and support to youth who are at risk of dropping out of school or making other unsafe choices.
To help these young people be safe and make positive choices takes some very special people. The dedication of the staff at Alternative House is incredible. Our Directors and Program Coordinators are available 24 hours a day to provide guidance to staff when a young person has a crisis. Our counselors work very hard to help young people find their way to a more stable, positive place.
Our Outreach staff recently went that extra step for a young person who took a devastating blow. A girl who has been coming to our drop-in teen center in Culmore recently lost her mother. Her father is disabled and the mother was the primary financial support for the family. Our counselors have connected the father to resources in our community so that they will be able to keep their apartment. We have been able to help with food and clothing and link the family to longer term help. But the counselors in our Outreach program didn’t stop there. Since the family has no money, grief counseling seemed out of the question. However, after many phone calls, our staff found “Camp of Hope” which will provide counseling twice a week for this young girl as she struggles to cope with the death of her mother and the family’s precarious financial situation.
This is just one example of the way the people who work at Alternative House go beyond what is expected and strive for excellence.
Our volunteers also go way beyond for the young people in our programs. Community members do everything from helping with dinner to answering our 24-hour hotline (1-800-SAY-TEEN) to shooting hoops with a youth at the Shelter. It means a lot to the young people in our programs to know that there are people who care enough about what happens to them that they will take time out of their busy day to show they care. Last year volunteers provided almost 9,000 hours of service.
My final thoughts are on the young people who come to Alternative House. At first glance a young person who ran from an abusive home, a young mother who doesn’t have her high school degree and is homeless or a youth struggling to stay out of neighborhood gangs may not seem to have a lot going for them. What you find after meeting these young people and talking with them are that each one has special qualities and gifts and most just need a little help to build on them. That’s the help that Alternative House provides.
The thing that I am best at talking about or writing about are the kids who are in our programs and the staff and volunteers here at Alternative House who do such an amazing job, so that is what this first posting will be about.
Alternative House has helped thousands of young people over the 37 years we’ve been in existence. Just this past year, we helped 13 young mothers and 15 children in our Assisting Young Mothers (AYM) program and almost 200 young people at our Emergency Shelter for Teenagers. Our Outreach staff worked with more than 1,500 young people providing help and support to youth who are at risk of dropping out of school or making other unsafe choices.
To help these young people be safe and make positive choices takes some very special people. The dedication of the staff at Alternative House is incredible. Our Directors and Program Coordinators are available 24 hours a day to provide guidance to staff when a young person has a crisis. Our counselors work very hard to help young people find their way to a more stable, positive place.
Our Outreach staff recently went that extra step for a young person who took a devastating blow. A girl who has been coming to our drop-in teen center in Culmore recently lost her mother. Her father is disabled and the mother was the primary financial support for the family. Our counselors have connected the father to resources in our community so that they will be able to keep their apartment. We have been able to help with food and clothing and link the family to longer term help. But the counselors in our Outreach program didn’t stop there. Since the family has no money, grief counseling seemed out of the question. However, after many phone calls, our staff found “Camp of Hope” which will provide counseling twice a week for this young girl as she struggles to cope with the death of her mother and the family’s precarious financial situation.
This is just one example of the way the people who work at Alternative House go beyond what is expected and strive for excellence.
Our volunteers also go way beyond for the young people in our programs. Community members do everything from helping with dinner to answering our 24-hour hotline (1-800-SAY-TEEN) to shooting hoops with a youth at the Shelter. It means a lot to the young people in our programs to know that there are people who care enough about what happens to them that they will take time out of their busy day to show they care. Last year volunteers provided almost 9,000 hours of service.
My final thoughts are on the young people who come to Alternative House. At first glance a young person who ran from an abusive home, a young mother who doesn’t have her high school degree and is homeless or a youth struggling to stay out of neighborhood gangs may not seem to have a lot going for them. What you find after meeting these young people and talking with them are that each one has special qualities and gifts and most just need a little help to build on them. That’s the help that Alternative House provides.
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