By: Joe Martinez, Sanctuary Community Relations and Outreach Manager

Two hundred homeless youth and young adults, ages 11 – 21 years, made their way to our Sanctuary Youth Shelter last week in search for a free pair of jeans. Sanctuary’s Outreach to the Streets (SOS) program distributed 200 pairs of jeans from famous makers such as Old Navy, Gap, and Levis to needy and deserving youth as part of our second Annual Jeans for Teens giveaway.

“The donated jeans were used as an incentive to draw homeless, transient and street youth to the Sanctuary,” says Joe Martinez, Sanctuary’s Community Relations and Outreach Manager. “It was a unique way of informing the community about our services and promoting our Drop-In Center – a temporary respite away from the streets where they could get rest, food, clothes, and counseling.” He adds, “Many of the youth who attended didn’t know about the Sanctuary and were surprised to learn about our Drop-In Center.”

SOS staff was surprised by the number of youth who dropped in and asked for jeans. “Since this was my first year helping with this event, we did not know what to expect and had no idea how many kids would show,” says Melissa Miller, SOS Youth Outreach Worker. “I was completely blown away by the sheer number of youth in need.” The event also provided youth with refreshments, recreation, information and referrals.

Our Agency’s Sanctuary Youth Services provides a continuum of care in assisting runaway, homeless, or otherwise displaced youth with successful transition from adolescence to adulthood. The Sanctuary operates an emergency shelter for 11 to 17 year-old youth in crisis; provides outreach services to homeless youth and families on the streets; operates three transitional living centers to assist 16 to 24 year-olds with preparation for sustainable, independent living; and maintains Safe Place sites throughout the county to facilitate youth access to shelter and services. Additionally, Sanctuary operates a Youth Drop-In Center Tuesday-Thursday from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m. and offers parenting classes from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. on Tuesdays for parents and their teens. These crisis intervention services are unique and unduplicated in our area.