By Priscilla Rodriguez | m/Oppenheim Media Writer
Among major U.S. cities, Dallas leads the nation in neighborhood inequality, and is considered one of the country’s most impoverished cities, with thousands of youth battling with homelessness every year.
In many cases, homeless youth have ended up in precarious situations as they flee from poor living conditions in their homes, as they are left without families or friends to turn to, or have even been turned away because of their personal lifestyle decisions.
But located in the heart of Dallas, the nonprofit Promise House offers a safe space for youth battling with homelessness to get back on their feet and look toward brighter futures.
Through its various therapeutic and housing programs and outreach services, Promise House connects youth from the ages of zero to 24 with opportunities to overcome the obstacles in their lives, while becoming self-sustainable and independent in the process.
“Many of the kids we serve have a complex scenario of concerns,” says Dr. Ashley Lind, Chief Executive Officer of Promise House, who explained the organization’s various programs cater to a wide spectrum of needs among homeless youth.
That includes helping teen mothers who are caring for children of their own, or helping youth who are in need of more time to get back on their feet to complete school or build their resumes. In any case, each child is assigned a case manager that develops for them an individualized service plan that includes counseling, group therapy, art therapy and family therapy.
At any given time Promise House, which is open 24/7 and 365 days a year, can house up to 100 youth through its residential programs and emergency shelter, often reserved for children in difficult situations who have been removed from their homes by child protective services.
Dr. Lind, who has been with Promise House since 2015, explains that in her 25 years of experience working with displaced families and youth, she’s observed the resilience of children and found inspiration in their ability to succeed and thrive in the face of adversity.
“I’m driven by the idea that children are our future and it’s important to invest in them,” she says. “I love being a part of that process.”
Beyond providing shelter and therapeutic services to youth, the organization focuses on preventative work as well, visiting schools and spreading the word about their services for at-risk youth and asking the community to partake in the important conversations around homelessness.
Around Thanksgiving in November, for example, Promise House will hold its annual “Sleep Out” for the third year, a fundraising event that invites community members to come outside and sleep in sleeping bags and cardboard boxes for the night, simulating the experiences of homeless youth and raising awareness of the issue that affects thousands every year.
In the meantime, Dr. Lind says the organization is working to collaborate more closely with the school system so that both educators and Promise House can do their part in preventing dropouts and helping at-risk youth stay in line for successful futures.
When asked whether youth homelessness can ever be completely solved, Dr. Lind explains that the on-going nature of such a complex and widespread issue shouldn’t dissuade anyone from doing their part, but rather inspire communities to come together and develop solutions.
“I think as human nature dictates, there will also be big concerns like this,” says Dr. Lind of the issue of youth homelessness, “but it’s up to us to help solve those problems and to be out there and to do what we can to help.”
Learn more about Promise House and Donate.