Youth Haven Graduates

SIGNIFICANT FEAR FOR SOME PEOPLE IN COLLIER COUNTY FOR TEENAGERS, HOMELESSNESS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO PROBLEMS WITH MENTAL HEALTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND CRIMINAL ACTIVITY. ALMOST 2000 CHILDREN IN COLLIER COUNTY ARE HOMELESS. BUT WITH THE HELP OF A COLLIER COUNTY YOUTH SHELTER FOR TEENAGERS WHO WERE ONCE HOMELESS ARE NOW ON THE TRACK TO SUCCESS. JOINING ME IN STUDIO, THE CEO OF YOUTH HAVEN, LINDA GOLDFIELD TO SHARE MORE ABOUT 4 REMARKABLE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO DEFIED EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES TO GET THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA. >> THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT, ALI. MY PLEASURE TO BE HERE. IT'S AN HONOR. >> 2 TO BE HERE TO SHARE THE STORY OF THESE 4 TEAMS AND THE SHARE, THE STORY OF HUGH PAYMENT. >> CAN YOU FIRST EXPLAIN THE MISSION OF YOUTH HAVEN? ABSOLUTELY. SO WE WERE FOUNDED IN 1972. WE'RE THE ONLY SHELTER IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR CHILDREN HIT THEN REMOVED FROM THEIR HOMES BY THE DEPARTMENT. >> OF CHILDREN AND FAMILY SERVICES FOR PEACE, NEGLECT AND OFTENTIMES HOMELESSNESS. OUR MISSION IS TO PROVIDE HOME HOPE AND HEALING 2 CHILDREN AND TEENS OF SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. OUR CAMPUS IS A 25 ACRE CAMPUS AND WHICH CHILDREN TEENS LIVE ON THAT CAMPUS HEAL FROM THE TRAUMA MOVE BEYOND THAT TRAUMA REGAIN THEIR CHILDHOOD REGAIN THEIR TEENAGE YEARS AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR BETTER FUTURE PART OF YOUTH HAVENS PROGRAM IS A PROGRAM CALLED DROPS COTTAGE. SO HOMELESS TEEN TRANSITIONAL PROGRAM FOR TEENS AGED 16 TO 21. WE HAVE CLOSE TO 1800 HOMELESS TEENS IN OUR COMMUNITY. TEAMS THAT ARE COUCH SURFING, LIVING IN THE WOODS LIVING IN THEIR CARS, LIVING IN A HOUSE WITH NO APPARENT ON OUR PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT HOMELESS TEENS AREN'T HOMELESS ADULTS. DID YOU SAY 1800 S THAT'S UNBELIEVE? IT IS UNBELIEVABLE. AND WE LIVE IN WHY WE LIVE IN SUCH AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY. WE HAVE LOTS OF SADLY POVERTY IN OUR COMMUNITY. FAMILIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING. JUST ONE INCIDENT AWAY FROM FROM TRAGEDY AND WE'RE HAPPY TO BE ABLE TO SERVE THESE CHILDREN THAT HAVE COME FROM SITUATIONS THAT BY NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO LIVE WITH THEIR FAMILIES. >> AND THEN YOU RECENTLY ANNOUNCED THAT YOU HAD FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WE'VE SEEN MANY GRADUATIONS RECENTLY ALL ACROSS SOUTHWEST FLORIDA DURING A MAY. IT'S A POPULAR TIME, OBVIOUSLY FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. WHAT MAKES THESE 4 CASES SO AMAZING. >> SO THESE YOUNG TEENS ARE JUST EXTRAORDINARY. >> HAVE PASSION, CONVICTION HAVE OVERCOME SO MUCH ADVERSITY TO TO WALK ACROSS THE STAGE AND RECEIVE THEIR DIPLOMAS. SO FOR SO MANY OF US, OUR CHILDREN, OUR GRANDCHILDREN, NIECES, THAT NEPHEWS, OUR OWN EXPERIENCE, OUR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL WAS FILLED WITH FUN ANTICIPATION, THE THOUGHTS OF FAMILY TOGETHER WITH PHOTOS AND AND PARTIES AND CELEBRATING WHERE YOUR NEXT CHAPTER WOULD BE. BUT FOR OUR CHILDREN WHO'VE HAD FOOD INSECURITY, HOMELESSNESS, ABUSE, NEGLECT. THE ABILITY TO GET UP EVERY DAY AND GO TO HIGH SCHOOL TO SHOW UP FOR CLASS WAS ACHIEVEMENT IN ITSELF AND THEN THEY FOUND THEIR WAY TO YOUTH HAVEN AND WERE ABLE TO REALLY FLOURISH. BLOOM AND EXPLORE ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE. >> HOW DOES YOUTH HAVEN HELP THEM ACHIEVE THIS DIPLOMA? WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY DO? SO WE HAVE A COTTAGE OF STAFF THAT SERVE AS MENTORS PROVIDING ARE PROVIDING RESOURCES WHETHER IT IS EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT. >> CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT FINANCIAL SUPPORT, ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL. ONE OF OUR YOUNG MAN THAT REALLY COMES TO MIND REALLY STRUGGLED WITH HIS HOME LIFE. AND BEFORE YOU CAME TO UP, THEN I WAS TOLD THAT HE WOULD NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. AND SO IF YOUR ENTIRE LIFE YOU CAN TELL THAT YOU CAN'T ACHIEVE SUCCESS, THAT YOU'RE NOT WORTHY. YOU START TO BELIEVE THAT. AND WHEN HE MADE HIS WAY TO YOUTH HAVEN BEING SURROUNDED BY LOVING, NURTURING, CARING PEOPLE WHO SAW THAT HE WAS RIGHT, THAT HE HAD THE CAPACITY WHO BELIEVED IN HIM. HE TOO STARTED TO TRANSFORM HIM, BELIEVE IN HIMSELF. GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL WAS HONORED TO WATCH HIM WALK ACROSS THE STAGE. HE WANTS TO GO INTO THE MILITARY AND IS CONSIDERING GOING TO COLLEGE FOR PHILOSOPHY UP OFF THE HICKS. THAT'S WONDERFUL. IT IS GOING TO. AND HOW ABOUT THE OTHER 3 GRADUATE? SO WE HAVE ANOTHER YOUNG MAN ON THE CAMPUS WHO WHEN 2 TECHNICAL SCHOOL AND HAS NOW DECIDED THAT HE SUPPLIES JUST APPLIED FOR COLLEGE AND WANTS TO BECOME AN ENGINEER. ONE OF THE YOUNG GIRLS ON THE CAMPUS AGAIN CAME FROM IT. PEACE OF SITUATION WHEN ALSO TO A TECHNICAL SCHOOL. AND WHAT'S BECOMING A STATISTIC AN AND THE 4TH GRADUATE WAS PLAYING BASKETBALL AT HIS HIGH SCHOOL, STRUGGLED WITH THE FAMILIES TO CHEW ATION. THAT WAS, AGAIN, A PIECE OF A NEGLECTFUL AND IS WORKING AND WANTS TO PASS THE PURSE, PURSUE AN EDUCATION IN THE TRADE. >> WHY IS THIS SO SIGNIFICANT IN COLLIER COUNTY? >> TO SEE THESE MILESTONES BEING MET BY THESE YOUNG PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY THINK WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY WHERE EVERYONE SEES SUCH ACCESS AND AFFLUENCE AND JUST ASSUMES THAT THAT'S WHAT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY IS. AND WHEN YOU'RE A YOUNG TEEN WHO IS STRUGGLING TO TO FIGURE OUT WHERE YOUR NEXT MEAL IS COMING FROM. WE'RE GOING TO FIND ELECTRICITY TO STUDY. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A SHOWER. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO GET TO SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO? GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT AND THEN ACHIEVE SUCCESS GRADUATE AND SEE THAT YOU HAVE A PATH FORWARD AND JUST SEEING THAT PROGRAM, MANY TEENS WHO'VE COME BEFORE YOU'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS AND ARE AND THEN BARKED ON THEIR CAREERS ARE LIVING INDEPENDENTLY. STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH US ARE STILL PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND FOR THOSE KIDS TO SAY THAT THAT IS THEIR FUTURE, I THINK, IS REALLY UPLIFTING AND INCREDIBLE FOR THEM. >> IF ANYONE WANTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOUTH HAVEN AND ITS PROGRAMS OR VOLUNTEER, WHAT SHOULD THEY DO? ABSOLUTELY SHOULD LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE YOUTH HAVEN. >> WHERE YOU WWW CADENCE SW F L DOT ORG. YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR WEBSITE TO SEE THE OPPORTUNITIES HAVE HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT OUR ORGANIZATION, HOW YOU CAN BECOME INVOLVED ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO BE A LAY LEADER ON OUR CAMPUS, TOO, TO COME IN AND INTERACT WITH THE CHILDREN TO GET TO KNOW THEM TO BE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE IN THEIR LIVES BECAUSE FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ON OUR CAMPUS, THEY HAVE BEEN CONTINUALLY DISAPPOINTED BY ADULTS IF SHE FAILED TO SHOW UP FOR THEM. SO FOR THEM TO SEE THAT THE COMMUNITY SUPPORTS THEM IS ENGAGED WITH THEM, IS THERE TO SUPPORT THEM REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES AND IN PARTICULAR, IN ROB'S COTTAGE, OUR OPERATING BUDGET THIS YEAR IS 9 MILLION DOLLARS FOR YOUTH HAVEN. 8 MILLION OF THAT COMES FROM COMMUNITY SUPPORT. ROB'S COTTAGE ENTIRE BUDGET COMES FROM COMMUNITY SUPPORT, THE SHOWING FOUNDATION AND THE AND AND CF WHICH IS THE WINTER WINE FESTIVAL ARE THE 2 PRIMARY FUNDERS FOR THAT PRESSURE. TRULY INCREDIBLE. HOW GENEROUS THE DONORS. ABSOLUTELY. WE COULD NOT TO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE. THE CHALLENGES WERE NOT HELPING HOMELESS TEENS. NOW HOMELESS CHILDREN NOW SADLY TAX DOLLARS WILL BE HELPING THEM LATER IN LIFE BECAUSE THEY'RE MORE INCLINED TO HAVE HEALTH ISSUES. BUT EMOTIONAL HEALTH ISSUES, PHYSICAL HEALTH ISSUES, MORE INCLINED TO END UP HOMELESS AGAIN, I END UP INCARCERATED AND SO WE NEED TO ENSURE IS A COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY. THEY ARE THE FUTURE OF THIS COMMUNITY. THEY DESERVE EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT OUR OWN CHILDREN AT THAT. >> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. I THINK MY PLEASURE. THANK YOU. >> COMING UP, MORE PEOPLE