Nothing About Me Without Me
What is A Place 4 Me?
It is not an actual place, but rather an idea that all youth ages 14 to 26 will have a place to call home, especially young people experiencing homelessness or transitioning out of the child welfare or other systems. A Place 4 Me is an initiative that coordinates the planning and implementation of local efforts to improve outcomes for transition-age youth in the areas of:
- Preventing homelessness, including for youth aging out of foster care.
- Creating a safety net to quickly identify youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness and connect them to resources.
- Providing an array of stable housing options for young people by leveraging federal, state, and local resources.
- Coordinating supportive services to help young people maintain stable housing, including employment assistance, mentoring, financial capability, and a flexible pool of emergency assistance resources.
We achieve these goals through convening, system assessment, planning, using data to drive decision-making, and by partnering with young adults to lead our efforts. We work to promote racial equity in the youth homeless system.
We are organized to do this work through a collective impact model of 30 partner organizations hosted by YWCA Greater Cleveland. The leadership consists of Cuyahoga County Division of Children and Family Services, Cuyahoga County Office of Homeless Services, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, FrontLine Service, EDEN, Inc., and Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry.
A Place 4 Me provides hands-on help to youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness. We do this through Opportunity Passport™ a financial capability and matched savings program for youth who are touched by foster care after the age of fourteen; a youth action board, called REACH, of trained advocates who help lead the change efforts in our community; information and referral and peer navigations services to help youth access resources.
Our national partnerships with the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative and A Way Home America provide a set of tools that drive our best-practice principals of authentic youth engagement, use of data to achieve results, a focus on racial and ethnic equity and inclusion, and collaboration to align resources.
For more information, see our strategic plan.
Contact
Kate Lodge
Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Executive Director
A Place 4 Me
216-881-6878
klodge@ywcaofcleveland.org
OUR WISH LIST
Hygiene Items
- Toothbrushes
- Toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Shampoo & Conditioner
- Body Wash/Bar Soap
- Feminine Hygiene Products (tampons, pads, liners)
- Hand sanitizer
- Sanitizing wipes
- Cologne/perfume
- Lip balm
- Body lotion
- Nail clippers
- Shaving cream
Household Items
- Laundry Detergent
- Paper Towels
- Toilet Paper
- Cleaning supplies
- Blankets
Other Needed Items
- Snacks (favorites include fruit snacks, Cheez-Its, granola bars, and fruit cups)
- Drinks (favorites include bottled water and sports drinks)
- Totes and Reusable Bags – young people use these to take items with them
- Journals/Notebooks