Knit One, Pearl Two

The other day I was walking through the kitchen area in our Emergency Shelter for Teens. One of the boys was doing a macramé project so I stopped to talk with him about it. I mentioned I was learning to knit. He said he always wanted to learn. I happened to have my knitting in the car so I brought it in to show him. He was very interested and asked many questions. That night I told Ann the woman who is teaching me to knit this story. She had mentioned a few weeks earlier that she would be happy to teach the teens to knit. I hadn’t thought there would be any interest on their part. Now there is. Ann is coming to the Shelter on Friday as a volunteer to give Mark his first knitting lesson. I will let you know how it goes.

Gina Cocomello

Teen Center Youth Worker

This is in the words of a young girl who is a Youth Worker from our Culmore Teen Center.

“I am 14 years old. I attend JEB Stuart High School and I am in the 9th grade. I come from a family of 6 kids, being the second oldest having a brother who's a year older. When I was 7 I lived in Culmore with four of my siblings and my parents. Most days after school all of us would go to the Alternative House Culmore Safe Youth Project (CSYP) after school program, that was just a few minutes from where I lived. It gave us somewhere to go while my parents worked. It was a difficult time both of my parents worked two jobs: one during the day and one during night. When I was in the 4th grade my mom was pregnant with twin baby boys which made it hard for her to work her second job which was delivering newspapers during night. I may have not been the oldest but I was that figure in my family so in the 4th grade my schedule was to go to sleep at 10:00 pm, wake up at 2:00 am deliver newspapers with my parents, come home around 7:00am and then go to school it was a lot of pressure, but the CSYP helped me get away from it all, and to be cared for. When my mom finally gave birth to the twins I was in 5th grade. She left the newborn twins at home for me and my older brother to care for at night while she was working. A few years later we moved out of our one bedroom apartment in Culmore to somewhere a little farther away. About 2 years ago, Alternative House was doing street outreach and they connected with me again. They offered and told me all about the programs available and I joined the Girl World group. I am glad that I was able to connect again, and receive all the support and help that I get from the counselors. A few months ago, I was hired as a youth worker at the Culmore Teen Center. This has given me so much pride and of course it is a great help. It is only for 6 months, but I am learning so much from it! I have many friends that struggle with even worse situations than me; that do not have a safe place to live in and that simply need assistance, and I am so glad that I am able to refer them to the Alternative House. My friends and I still to this day come to all the programs and everything they offer really does mean a lot to us kids, we might not have been born at the top but Alternative House really does help work you there. Thank you for your time.”

For 16 years our Community Based Youth Services have served high-risk and culturally diverse youth in their neighborhoods. Neighborhood-based counselors worked with more than 1,000 young people last year. Our mobile outreach van averages 300 contacts with youth each month providing counseling, referrals and survival supplies in an effort to keep youth in school and away from gang activity.
The Culmore Teen Center served more than 250 youth this past year. The drop-in center provides a safe place away from gang recruitment in one of the most heavily gang-infested areas in Fairfax. Counselors at the center along with community volunteers, provide homework help, tutoring, and recreation and field trips, counseling and community service projects. The center also provides meals for those who need it.

The Safe Youth Project, is an after-school program for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Our first Safe Youth Project in Culmore was so successful that we were able to open a second program in Annandale. The program provides homework help, tutoring, community service opportunities, computer skills, and recreational opportunities. It was opened after police asked Alternative House if we could work with younger youth. Local gangs have started recruiting children as young as 10. Waiting to provide prevention services beginning in middle school could be too late. The Safe Youth Project has exceeded its enrollment projection of 30 youth at each location and provides neighborhood-based services four days a week.

Host Homes are needed for students

Our newest program is the Homeless Youth Initiative helps young people who are homeless, without the support of a parent or guardian and who are still in high school. Last year at the end of the school year there were over 300 young people in this precarious position. In partnership with Fairfax County Public Schools, Alternative House is leading a three-pronged program to provide housing and other supports. We are recruiting Host Homes (similar to hosting a foreign exchange student), providing rent vouchers and have a small transitional living program that can work with four young women. Program participants are 16 to 21 years old and must be completing high school.
The Homeless Youth Initiative Host Home program is aimed at providing a stable living situation and environment for homeless or unaccompanied youth who wish to graduate from high school. We find out about these students usually through a referral from their high school (counselor, teacher, friends/community).

The students may be immigrants who have come to the United States on their own and are living alone. They may be living in unsuitable conditions (a too crowded home or apartment where they sleep on the floor or in a closet). The students' living conditions may be about to expire (parents have set a deadline for when the student needs to move out, loss of immediate family members or a non-immediate family member who houses the student may be moving away).

Being a Host Home entails opening your home to the student. Many Host Homes provide transportation, meals, and general support to an HYI student. However, HYI staff provide significant support to assist with the student should the Host Home desire assistance. The student will have frequent contact with an HYI case manager, therapist and/or housing coordinator. HYI can provide necessities for the student (hygiene supplies, school supplies, clothes, etc.) In addition, most of our HYI students are eligible for food stamps and free or reduced cost health care.

If you are interested in becoming a Host Home, please contact Juan Leon through email at juan_leon@thealternativehouse.org or phone (703) 343-3551.

I’m a 17 year old who has problems with my father

Each year, our teen shelter provides support to hundreds of teens, both over the phone and in person. As a staff member, I frequently talk to teens, families, and others who work with teens about the benefits of our program. But I can’t say it nearly as well as someone who is in the program:

“My situation is clear and simple. Pretty much I’m a 17 year old who has various problems with my father. We have disagreements over any and everything there is which kind of explains my situation….

I wouldn’t say I’m homeless, but at the same time I would because … going back home with my father is no longer an option, so independence is definitely the key to survival.

Since I’ve been here at the Alternative House I’ve been extremely comfortable and I feel as though this was the home and environment I needed to be an even better person than what I’m already am. Even meeting new kids and listening to different stories and situations is definitely cool. The staff here have reached out to me on countless occasions and definitely considered me part of their family. The help received has been absolutely amazing, I feel like the attention is all for me and they pretty much provide you with an extra hand whenever you need it….Alternative House is definitely teen friendly and if you’re having countless problems at home, or if you know home is no longer an option I would recommend A.H. especially if independence is needed throughout your struggles and obstacles A.H. will definitely work.”

- Shelter Resident

Assisting Young Mothers Clients say Thanks

Here are some of the “Thank You’s” AYM would like to extend to our generous holiday donors!

To whom this may concern,
Thank you for taking the time to go out and dedicate your time for my son and I. Everything came in handy. I am appreciative and grateful for what we received. I was definitely in need of some pajamas in his size. I just wanted to take this time on behalf of everyone and thank all of you. I want to also thank you all for the items I received as well. Thank you, the gifts were beautiful. I couldn’t have asked for more. Thank You.

Thank You! We loved our presents, especially the Ravens gear.

Thank you for making Christmas for me and my child worth waking up to. Seeing the smile on my daughter’s face was enough to last me the rest of the year. Everything was appreciated and loved. Thank You all

To who ever made Christmas this year amazing,
To see the see the smile on my daughters face on Christmas morning was something I’ll never forget. The time dedicated by you to provide us with such an unforgettable day for my child is so greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

Dear Generous Stranger,
You have helped make my son’s first Christmas so meaningful. All of the clothes fit perfectly and they look great. He was very excited about the construction toy that he received as well. I am extremely thankful for the clothes and bottle rack for my next son. I adore my bath set! Thank you for all my gifts.

Safe Youth Project

The Alternative House Safe Youth Project, is an after-school program for 4th, 5th and 6th graders. Our first Safe Youth Project in Culmore was so successful that we were able to open a second program in Annandale. The program provides homework help, tutoring, community service opportunities, computer skills, and recreational opportunities. We also provide an after school snack and dinner. It was opened after police asked Alternative House if we could work with younger youth. Local gangs have started recruiting children as young as 10. Waiting to provide prevention services beginning in middle school could be too late. The Safe Youth Project has exceeded its enrollment projection of 30 youth at each location and provides neighborhood-based services four days a week.

We have wonderful volunteers who work with the young people in these programs. Larry Fickau (“Mr. Lee”) is one of those volunteers. He works in our Annandale Safe Youth Project. This is what he has to say about his experience volunteering; “For me, the reward of being a volunteer with ASYP is seeing the smile on children’s faces when I teach them how to solve a math problem and, all of a sudden, they understand the method - or how to write a better composition and they find that they can do it!”

New Year’s Resolutions

It’s that time of year when we make New Year’s resolutions….that we usually don’t keep past a month or so. The locker room at the gym will be crowded until mid-February (or I assume it will be – I won’t be there!), we’ll focus on eating vegetables until that busy night when we break down and order pizza, and we’ll diligently save all our pocket change until we get tired of making rolls of quarters. Then it’s back to the same behavior for 10 ½ months, until January 1st rolls around again and we say “This year, it will be different.”
For the young mothers who we support in our AYM housing program, this year is different. They have decided to make changes in their lives that will positively impact them and their children for years to come. And although many of these resolutions can be difficult to stick to, these moms are doing their best.
“Lucinda” is focused on finding a higher-paying job that matches the career training she received while living at AYM. Now a graduate of AYM I and living in AYM II with her two children, Lucinda obtained a medical certificate while living at AYM and is intent on building a career in this area. Right now she’s working a job that is not in her field of interest until she finds other employment. She’s caring for two children on her own, saving money when she can, and has a cheerful disposition even when times are tough.
“Bridget” is also positive, despite her situation. Having recently given birth to a son, she entered the AYM program after sleeping in her car and living in an emergency shelter for single adults. Since moving into a stable place to live, Bridget has interviewed for jobs, obtained important documents such as a birth certificate and social security card, and saw a medical professional for a physical. Traveling throughout the county on public transportation with a young child, Bridget has a can-do attitude and is looking forward to working full time.
Lastly, “Lonnie” is working part-time while attending school and caring for her daughter. She is hoping to begin a career in the medical field after finishing her certificate program and will be graduating AYM in January after 18 months. She has been connected with medical services for her daughter, who has developmental delays due to a genetic disorder, purchased her own car, and has earned high grades in her college classes. She is looking ahead to living independently with the money she has saved while in the AYM program.
Kind of inspiring, isn’t it?

Meghan Huebner