We are exceedingly pleased to hear that the Community Development Block Grant proposal was approved. This means that the building will receive a complete renovation! It will be as energy efficient as possible. But more importantly, it will be a warm, safe place that runaway and homeless youth – any youth in need of immediate safety – can access for many years to come.

The need for youth to access safe shelter has not gone away; we have runaway and homeless youth in our community (173 in 2011), we have parents & teens in conflict, we have community agencies at capacity for housing youth. We are elated for all who will benefit, and know this is a positive step forward in beginning to meet this need in our community.

We would like to thank the Fairbanks City Council for their unanimous support of this project.  By acknowledging the severity of the problem of youth homelessness in our community and working to alleviate it by endorsing the opening of a youth shelter in Fairbanks, they have helped bring this critical issue to the attention of the community, and supported this effort to make sure this gap does not go unfilled.

Thank you!

Marylee Bates
Executive Director