Wishlist

Help SAY feed homeless youth

SAY’s Dr. Coffee Teen Shelter and Drop-in Center serves between 130 and 170 meals per month to homeless and runaway youth. Last year SAY served over 1,500 emergency meals to youth ages 12 – 24. These youth are homeless, fleeing abuse at home, and have long-term history of chronic poverty, family instability, parental substance abuse, mental illness and social isolation. Often the meals these kids have at the Teen Shelter are the first point of contact for SAY professionals to bring them into safety and away from the dangers of the streets.

We have seen a sharp increase in need: in August 2011 we served over 500 meals to hungry, homeless youth. In the same month, all of our state funding for food was cut!

We need your help. We could really use the following food items:

SAY’s Backpacks of Hope provide essentials and more to homeless kids

Did you know that 701 youth will sleep on the streets of Sonoma County tonight? Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) feeds, houses, clothes and provides counseling to many of these kids. To keep kids on the streets safe, SAY is starting the Backpacks of Hope program.

We’ll distribute backpacks filled with essentials to homeless youth all over the county. The packs will contain toothpaste, toothbrushes, clean socks, blankets, first aid kits, food and clothes. Each month, these kids can come to our shelter for a “refill,” getting the supplies they need and receiving services that will bring them closer to leaving the streets. Please join SAY in helping bring homeless kids home. Fill a backpack, change a life.