SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Big plans are underway in Summit County to address youth homelessness.
Youth Outreach Specialist Hope Sayre said it’s a dream come true.
“I can’t even put it into words. I think about it all night and day. This is something we’ve gone for, for three years in a row now,” said Sayre.
Sayre said their vision of creating a county-wide 24/7 drop-in center just for youth is finally in the works.
“All the times that I’ve seen somebody go straight homeless because of a job they worked or what they believed or felt in their hearts, just didn’t have housing or somewhere safe to go, it creates that for these people,” said Sayre.
The plan is still in the very beginning stages. Javon Solomon, who has helped spearhead the effort, said he’s excited about what this will mean for the community.
“I’ve experienced the systems, and it was rough, and there were barriers, so right now we’re trying to create a shelter for our community that we can remove the barriers,” said Solomon, who is the Youth Advisory Board Treasurer.
Like Solomon, Sayre tells News 5 he once experienced homelessness, too.
But eventually, the pair found the right connections, which they and Jada Moore want to do for others because they say Summit County does not have a 24/7 drop-in center specifically for youth.
“This youth has such the potential to do great things. They have great ideas,” said Moore, who is the Summit County Continuum of Care Youth Coordinator.
Moore serves as the liaison between her organization and the Youth Advisory Board, or YAB, which is the group in charge of this project.
“Right now, we’re doing our six-month plan, so after we get that six-month plan, then we’ll have a real action plan on if we want to build somewhere new,” said Moore.
“That’s our plan is just to create a safe space and environment to support our youth to give them programs to help them be productive, to help them get into the community, to help them be that bridge, that connection for them to give them a better and successful life,” said Solomon.
The Youth Advisory Board has received about $1.5 million in federal funds.
But they say more is needed, so they’re encouraging help from community partners, donors and sponsors.
