Youth On Their Own

SUPPORT HS GRADUATION AND CONTINUED SUCCESS OF YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN PIMA COUNTY.

SEE SCHEDULE OBY PROVIDING ACCESS TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, BASIC NEEDS ITEMS, AND ONE-ON-ONE GUIDANCE, YOTO GIVES YOUTH WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS THE TOOLS AND SUPPORT THEY NEED TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND REACH THEIR GOALS. UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS DEPEND ON SCHOOL-BASED SUPPORTS (TEACHERS/COUNSELORS, TUTORING, BREAKFAST/LUNCH SERVICES, ETC.) AND SOCIAL NETWORKS (FRIENDS, COACHES, TEAMMATES, ETC.) FOR POSITIVE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, CONSISTENCY, AND TEMPORARY HOUSING CONNECTIONS. THESE WERE COMPLETELY ALTERED DURING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR DUE TO COVID-19, LEAVING MOST YOUTH WITHOUT STABLE, REGULAR, SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS. DESPITE THIS, AND WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL REMOTELY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, 73% OF YOTO SENIORS GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL. ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN OUR THREE LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICE AREAS INCLUDE: YOUTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE: HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS CAN EARN A MONTHLY STIPEND OF UP TO $220 TO INCENTIVIZE SCHOOL PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE. YOUTH IN HIGHEST-NEED CONDITIONS (THOSE WHO ARE LIVING IN THEIR CAR, PARENTING, ETC.) EARN THE HIGHEST STIPEND AMOUNT OF $220. THE MAJORITY OF YOUTH EARN $160 PER MONTH. TO RECEIVE A STIPEND, STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO MEET SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REQUIREMENTS. ALL YOTO YOUTH CAN REQUEST EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR RENT, UTILITIES, BILLS, HEALTHCARE COSTS, DAY CARE, SCHOOL FEES (TESTING FEES, MATERIALS, SPORTS FEES, SPORTS EQUIPMENT, ETC.), AND MORE. IN 2020-2021, APPROXIMATELY $1M WAS INVESTED IN YOUTH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.BASIC NEEDS: YOTO YOUTH ARE PROVIDED ACCESS TO FREE BASIC NEEDS ITEMS SUCH AS FOOD, CLOTHING, HYGIENE ITEMS, AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES AT THE YOTO MINI-MALL. BUS PASSES AND BICYCLES ARE ALSO PROVIDED TO ELIMINATE TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS FOR STUDENTS. IN 2020-2021, YOTO DISTRIBUTED 87,752 BASIC NEEDS ITEMS TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE DONATED BY THE COMMUNITY.GUIDANCE: BECAUSE YOTO YOUTH ARE ON THEIR OWN, THEY OFTEN LACK THE SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE THAT COMES FROM A CARING PARENT. YOTO PROVIDES ONE-ON-ONE GUIDANCE, ENCOURAGEMENT, COLLEGE AND CAREER ASSISTANCE, AND CONNECTIONS TO OTHER SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, YOTO SERVES AS AN ADVOCATE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE ONE. IN 2020-2021, APPROXIMATELY $1M WAS INVESTED IN YOUTH GUIDANCE.ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS STRUGGLED TO STAY IN SCHOOL DURING THE 2020-2021 ACADEMIC YEAR. LACK OF ACCESS TO A STABLE HOME AND CONSISTENT INTERNET MADE REMOTE LEARNING PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING FOR HOMELESS YOUTH. YOTO MADE SIGNIFICANT EFFORTS TO MODIFY OUR SERVICE MODEL AND KEEP OUR PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS SAFELY ENGAGED IN SCHOOL. WE ISSUED A LAPTOP COMPUTER TO EVERY PROGRAM PARTICIPANT WHO NEEDED ONE, WE UTILIZED AN ONLINE STUDENT PORTAL TO MAINTAIN CONTACT AND PROVIDE WEBBASED ONE-ON-ONE GUIDANCE TO STUDENTS, AND WE TRANSFORMED OUR ON-SITE MINI-MALL TO A DRIVE-THROUGH MODEL TO MINIMIZE CONTACT FOR YOUTH. YOTO CONTINUED TO BE A CONSISTENT SOURCE OF SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE DURING A VERY TURBULENT YEAR FOR OUR PROGRAMPARTICIPANTS.PROGRAM PARTICIPANT SNAPSHOT:DUE TO OUR DILIGENT OUTREACH EFFORTS, YOTO SERVED 796 STUDENTS DURING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR. WE HAD 143 GRADUATING SENIORS. WE DISTRIBUTED OVER $1M IN FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH 1,311 EDUCATIONAL STIPENDS AND 368 EMERGENCY BILL ASSISTANCE REQUESTS. 52,516 BASIC NEEDS TRANSACTIONS WERE DELIVERED WITH A TOTAL OF 87,752 ITEMS OF FOOD, CLOTHING, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, HYGIENE, AND HOUSEHOLD ITEMS DISTRIBUTED TO YOTO YOUTH. IN AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO VULNERABLE YOUTH IN NEED.