Serving Youth in an Economic Downturn
Can’t Be Complacent
Maria Mayola, director of community relations for Covenant House Florida in Orlando, says her program has had to make tough choices now that the organization has a waiting list of youth in need of care due to the economic downturn. Its experience is a lesson to others just now grappling with how to find new ways to help youth while resources are diminishing.
“One of the things we’ve learned, you always have to adjust your services based on the economic climate and all the trends that are happening,” she says. “We couldn’t be complacent if we were going to stick to our mission to try to help the kids we serve.”
Based on Covenant House’s experience, Mayola advises other organizations to:
- Revise operating procedures. Covenant House could not keep up with the demand for services, but also could not turn away youth who needed help. Program managers streamlined intake and case management procedures—and even began serving youth through appointments—to ensure Covenant House was meeting needs and not letting anyone fall through the cracks.
- Reach out to local colleges and technical schools. The youth coming in the doors these days need work—quickly. Having an alliance with nearby training programs helps Covenant House fulfill this need.
- Get more volunteers. Covenant House actively reached out to community members for help and in turn created a mentorship program with retired professionals in the community to work with the youth staying there.
- Diversify funding and get in-kind services. By keeping its message and mission out there, Covenant House has gotten businesses to do free improvements on its facilities and donate cash from proceeds from sales and special events. The organization has also secured a year’s worth of hygiene products after a successful drive in the local school district.
Steve Berg, vice president for programs and policy for the National Alliance to End Homelessness, is hopeful that times will change: “What we know from past economic downturns is that there is no reason to believe we won’t recover.”
He advises organizations to stretch their dollars and serving capacity by linking with faith-based resources and other previously untapped partners. Moreover, he advises organizations to share their stories with peers.
“It’s a trying time out there,” says Berg, but with stimulus funding beginning to make its way to direct services providers, the tide will turn. In the meantime, he says, “we encourage people to tell their stories, their successes— the success will breed more investment. I think that bodes well for the future.”
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