24/7 Drop-In One-Stop Center for Homeless Youth

Bill Wilson Center’s Drop-In Center is so successful that we have created a problem:  youth sleep on our doorstep after we close for the night because they have no other place to go and they feel safe at our Drop-In Center.  Unfortunately, there are a few kids that cause problems, so we have added security – spending money we would rather use for services for our kids.  There must be a better way.

Ever since we opened the Bill Wilson Center’s Drop-In Center in 1995 we have served a steady stream of youth over age 18.  Our goal was to get all the youth off the streets, but we soon realized that there was this “in between age” young person who was caught between being a teenager and an adult.  We have a shelter for the kids under 18, but there are few options for 18-24 year olds. Although these young people (usually up to age 22) are adults they often don’t feel comfortable in adult shelters and need comprehensive services provided in a place they know by people they trust.  These young people build a protective shell to keep them from further hurt.

Over the years, we have added more programs for homeless young people who have aged out of the foster care system or other institutions, or have lived on the streets.  We have also expanded services at the Drop-In Center such as increasing our hours, adding three free meals a day, free showers, storage lockers, counseling, job assistance, support groups, HIV and pregnancy prevention, and health care.  We also linked youth up with our other programs including transitional housing.

Our one goal that remained out of reach was to extend our drop-in services to 24-hours so that we could be available all the time to anyone who needed help.  In the next few weeks, before winter sets in, our goal is to find the funds to remain open 24-hours, every day.   Instead of paying for security to move kids away from our courtyard when we are closed, we will hire counselors who will invite them into the Drop-in center to talk or to sleep on a cot.   Our vision of a 24/7 one-stop service center is within our reach.