The Harbour Launches Social Media Service to Reach Homeless Youth in Transition and Crisis
The Harbour, a social agency for homeless youth, is working to lower barriers for youth in crisis to immediately access its emergency shelter in the North and Northwest suburbs.
Named "Harbour 24/7," the service uses social media access and a messaging platform to provide more immediate access to shelter and case management services for homeless youth. Vist: www.harbour247.com
"This new initiative has been developed to improve communication with young people, raise awareness among those who are homeless or in crisis and provide access to the resources at The Harbour and partner agencies in the North/Northwest Suburbs," said Kris Salyards, Executive Director, The Harbour which has headquarters in Park Ridge, IL
As its name suggests, Harbour 24/7 will provide an immediate response and access system to its constituent youth. A new text line has been established for their use; text "shelter" to 77948.
Social media access has also established through Facebook and Instagram. "Youth experiencing acute homelessness will have immediate access to safe space and greater access to resources at The Harbour," Salyards emphasized.
The Harbour's New Youth-focused Website: www.Harbour247.com
"Harbour247.com has been gifted by a pro bono developer, marketing team, and designer and will provide youth in crisis with specific access to staff, services, and suburban resources to help meet immediate needs," Salyards explained.
"Harbour247.com will also feature the Streetlight app, created by the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, which shows real time availability of shelter beds in the area."
We have listened to the needs of our current clients at The Harbour and they have strongly recommended
that the best way to reach youth in transition and crisis is through social media efforts," Salyards said.
Youth Homelessness: A Broad and Hidden Challenge
The Chicago Tribune reported on December 31, 2017: Researchers with Chapin Hall, a youth policy center at the University of Chicago, surveyed in 2016 and 2017 more than 26,000 young people and their families across the country to gauge how many of them had experienced homelessness during some period of the previous year.
The Chapin Hall report indicates that over a 12-month period, 4.3% of households with 13-17 year olds reported youth homelessness. This is 1 in 30 youth in America in that age group.
This translates to a minimum of 700,000 minors or the equivalent of over 800 average-sized high schools. About three-quarters of them involved explicit homelessness (including running away or being kicked out due to their parents rejection of their sexual identify or other crisis issues).
For more information about The Harbour, please visit: www.theharbour.org. Or contact Kris Salyards, Executive Director, The Harbour, Phone: 847.893-0638 Email: kris@theharbour.org
About The Harbour
The Harbour provides a comprehensive continuum of housing and case management services to youth in crisis, ages 12 to 24, in the North and Northwest suburbs of Cook County.
Since 1971, The Harbour has provided housing and supportive services to community youth in crisis in the North and Northwest suburbs of Cook County. Since its founding, thousands of youth have passed through The Harbour's doors who were deflected from homelessness, graduated from our programs, and are now living independently.
While The Harbour receives some financial support from the State of Illinois, it relies on donations to provide the support needed to continue providing its services. Monthly donations, bequests and small single donations are gratefully accepted. The Harbour is headquartered in Park Ridge, IL.