News

YOUTH HAVEN, INC. AWARDED $10,000 GRANT FROM SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION

Naples, Fl (April 21, 2022).

Youth Haven, Inc. is pleased to announce they received a $10,000 grant from Suncoast Credit Union.

The funds received will be utilized to fund the expenses associated with Youth Haven’s educational initiative for the children and teens in our foster care group home and homeless teen group home. At Youth Haven, we recognize the importance of education for our youth. Upon arrival to our 18.5-acre therapeutic campus in Naples, Florida, each child’s education needs are prioritized. The funds received will be utilized to assist with establishing makerspaces on our therapeutic campus and all items needed to encourage creativity, innovative thinking, problem-solving skills, and the staff time for the projects. Funding is also required for additional educational support, including, but not limited to, textbooks, furniture, and tools to ensure the learning environment is accessible and appropriate for all ages of children.

Children who spend a significant amount of time in foster care tend to be an average of two years behind their peers in school. By 19, only 58% of teens in congregate care will graduate high school, compared to 87% of all 19-year-olds. When youth arrive on our campus, one of our goals is to provide consistency by keeping them enrolled in their “home” school regardless of districting. Unfortunately, many children and teens arrive without school records or have been home-schooled with very little educational guidance. Sadly, enrollment can take two to eight weeks, especially when a child crosses county lines.

Youth Haven is Southwest Florida’s only residential shelter for boys and girls ages 10-19 who have been removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, abandonment, or homelessness. Our programming is designed to address the trauma experienced and help them heal by providing them with innovative therapies, normalizing experiences, and therapeutic environments that assist with their healing journey.

“We’re grateful for the generous support from Suncoast Credit Union,” said Linda Goldfield, Youth Haven Executive Director. “With their support, Youth Haven can continue to meet and exceed our vulnerable youth’s educational needs.”

For media inquiries, please contact Laura Lafakis, Youth Haven Director of Development, at 239-687-5175 or Laura.Lafakis@youthhavenswfl.org.


About Youth Haven, Inc.

Youth Haven, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, is Collier County’s only emergency and residential emergency shelter for children and teens removed from their homes due to abuse, neglect, or abandonment. In continuous operation since 1972, Youth Haven’s therapeutic campus, located in Naples, Florida, houses 70 youth with a waking staff system that allows for around-the-clock specialized care. Youth Haven provides programs that create transformational change in its youth. Youth Haven is a COA nationally accredited organization, a member agency of the United Way of Collier and the Keys, and a Naples Children & Education Foundation grant recipient. It also holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator. Its mission is “To provide Home, Hope, and Healing to abused and neglected children and teens in Southwest Florida.” For more information, please visit youthhavenswfl.org or call 239-774-2904. Follow Youth Haven on social media: FacebookTwitterInstagram, and LinkedIn.

###

Back to list