Homeless youth in Dallas have a new place to go to take showers, do laundry and find assistance.
Once an elementary school, the Fannie C. Harris Youth Center opened its doors Tuesday as a drop-in center for anyone age 14 to 21 who's struggling with homelessness.
"We've brought together segments that have been working together on homelessness for decades and put them under one roof," said Jorge Baldor, founder and president of After8toEducate. "Where one service ends, another begins."
Baldor was integral in the creation of the South Dallas center, though many organizations contributed to the effort, including Dallas ISD, and nonprofits Promise House and CitySquare.
The shuttered school-turned-drop-in center offers youth a place to shower, do laundry, eat a meal and connect with resources such as shelters.
In the coming weeks, Andrew Martinez will begin working at the center near Fair Park, connecting homeless youth with housing resources for CitySquare. He said the center will help bring homeless youth who need resources to him, the “bridge between the drop-in center and shelters.”
“I saw this place in February, and it was a rundown building,” Martinez said. “Now, it’s perfect for youth who need to get out of the heat or cold or shower.”
The drop-in services, however, are only one part of what the youth center is intended to provide. Beginning next spring, the center plans to begin offering longer-term shelter to some youth. While the drop-in services are available to any homeless person between 14 and 21, the shelter will provide beds for youth who are Dallas ISD students.
Martinez said the focused shelter will help employees identify and place younger homeless individuals more quickly and efficiently.
Based on Promise House estimates, Baldor said, about 200 youth are likely to use the shelter each year.
Completing the shelter, though, will require about $1 million more in funding, money collaborators are attempting to raise through donations.
“The only way to defeat homelessness is to collaborate,” Maritnez said. “I’m excited for my city to have a place like this.”
