 Because there's a lot of times people like me or in my situation where we don't have those opportunities So we got to take advantage right here, you know California is stepping up to provide more opportunities for youth to get off the streets programs with housing food Job opportunities school Basically everything that a person my age needs to become successful It takes a village that's why Cal OES is providing funding to organizations that can invest in the future of Californians like Jacob awarding 38 million in new grants to community-based Organizations that work with this vulnerable population Just providing opportunities for them to continue their life Especially because this is a part in time in their life right now where they're building character, you know finding out who they are Additional funding through these state grants allows for more partnerships More partnerships mean more complete care in Orange County For instance the homeless youth grant was awarded to the Orangewood Foundation that operates off of a connected non-profit model Meaning the other organizations they are aligned with that are part of their village will also benefit from this funding It'll provide us More capacity by partnering up with Covenant House And their shelter operation because we don't have any shelter operations at Orangewood Foundation our housing is Primarily transitional housing being able to fill voids in the continuum of care will ensure young Californians Experiencing homelessness have the tools resources and support to transition to a more stable future And then partnering up with United Way to help us find those permanent supportive options once they leave the shelter It's just a great combination of all three of us working together to help our young people and Helping these young people starts with putting a roof over their heads Housing is a big need in this community. So the additional funding is going to continue like the basic needs but also add The emergency housing component to it with this funding local service providers will be able to provide a whole range of housing options Starting with more immediate shelters Wow, this feels like a home and that's what we want. We don't want it to be Institutionalized we want to be used to feel at home and come into a home environment We have the drop-in centers employment education services, but there has not been an actual safe haven shelter yet These grants are also helping provide more longer term housing That's our little piece of the puzzle is finding those apartments Managing those networks with the property owners and the property managers to make sure that once those youth move in that ever can Everything can be as smooth as possible Grant money will be turned into hard cash to secure apartments It's around the security deposits to be able to help get these young adults moved into their own place Housing is one piece of the puzzle another critical piece is addressing the individuals mental health With this funding community-based organizations will be able to expand their mental health services and bring additional Clinicians and case managers on to provide ongoing support We do have Over 800 young people coming here on an annual basis But we don't have enough resources to have case management for all of them Case management really is like the secret source to working with the youth They help the youth come up with the goals achieve their goals work towards their goals Setting goals is one of those important life skills. So many of these homeless youth are never taught They're forced at a young age to focus on simply Survival we provide two warm meals a day breakfast and lunch We have access to our full pantry brand new kitchen. They can take groceries with them for the whole seven days Hygiene packs to stock them with them for all the products they need for the whole month We have access to on-site shower laundry facility That's why taking care of those basic needs first is essential to not only getting them off the streets But also freeing up space so they can think about and plan for a future It means so much to me because without this I honestly don't know where I would have been today If you're homeless, you got nowhere to go. No no no family to support you. This is a spot right here this is the spot here to to to to a To make those dreams a reality These grants were part of the one billion dollars in grant funds being distributed by the Cal OES grants management division Designed to improve and enhance local and regional agencies capabilities For more information on the homeless youth grants and the state's wider efforts to protect vulnerable Californians go to www.caloes.ca.gov and follow us on social media