UPDATE on Feb. 11, 2013: 

Since mid-January when 360 Youth Services launched it “Dollar for our Daughters” campaign to raise funds to keep open its Girls Transitional Housing program, nearly half the funding goal has been reached.

“360 Youth Services is very appreciative of all the support and donations we have received for the Dollar for Our Daughters Campaign,” said Ron Hume, Executive Director of the nonprofit social service agency on Monday.  “We have received close to $60,000 of the $125,000 needed to save our Girls Transitional Housing program. We cannot give up on these girls yet!”

For additional information and updates, and how still to donate to help save these girls from homelessness, Hume is hopeful folks will visit their website regularly.

Also note that registration is now open for the Spring Ahead 5K, 10K and Kids Fun Run presented by Calamos Investments at CityGate Centre beginning at 8AM Sun., April 14.

Original post released on Jan. 16, 2013

360 Youth Services, a nonprofit agency located in Naperville,  learned recently that it will have to close its transitional housing program for formerly homeless women, ages 18-22 years old. Federal Health and Human Services grant funding for the program was not renewed and unless alternative funding can be secured, seven amazing young women may find themselves homeless again.

In 2006, 360 Youth Services led the crusade to open the unique transitional housing program for this hugely underserved population. While programs existed in the Chicago metro area for pregnant or parenting young women from this age group, no such program existed in the area for those who were not pregnant or parenting. Only three programs serving this population currently exist in Illinois. The program currently has a 98 percent success rate transitioning homeless young women to independence and permanent housing within 18 months.

‘A Dollar for Our Daughters’

“A Dollar for Our Daughters” is a social media campaign being launched by 360 Youth Services this week in order to increase awareness and raise a minimum of $150,000 in funds to keep the program operational until October when the women in the program will be ready to transition to permanent housing.

Three of the women, and board member, Nicki Anderson, are featured in an emotional video about the program which has been posted on You Tube and the agency’s website – 360youthservices.org.

Individuals who have never experienced homelessness or the uncertainty of where our next meal is coming from, may not understand how absolutely vital this program is. These young women enter the program alone and lost, they leave the program as an educated, employed, positive contributor to society.

“Our top priority is keeping these women from becoming homeless,” said Hume while he shared that the program has already made some drastic changes so it can run on a bare bones budget, but the fact remains that the agency still needs to raise $125,000 to keep the women housed until October.

Homeless youth, ages 18-22 years old, are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population in DuPage County. Last year, a one-night survey coordinated by the DuPage County Continuum of Care agencies, found 55 unaccompanied youth between the ages of 18-24 living in a homeless shelter or transitional housing program that night. The number of youth who had been homeless during that year was 134.

Visit http://www.360youthservices.org/a-dollar-for-our-daughters/ to meet some of the girls possibly facing homelessness again.