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A Message From the President... | |
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In March of 1973, two runaway children entered the Valley Youth House shelter on Eighth Avenue in Bethlehem and were the first of over 70,000 runaway, homeless, abused, neglected, and troubled children to benefit from the generosity of the Lehigh Valley community. All of those who have been associated with our work over the past 33 years can feel proud of the fact that the agency has emerged as a preeminent community provider of services to our troubled young people and their families. During 2005, nearly 7,250 of these children received prevention, counseling, life skills, and shelter services that provided them with a new opportunity for successful living. The tragedy that we face is that the gap between our ability to supply services and the demand for them is growing. Many social factors including child poverty, continuing high divorce rates, and changing demographics have caused large increases in the number of children at risk of leading failed adult lives. In the tradition of the American commitment to opportunity for all who seek it, I dream that during the coming years we are able to help all of those who seek our assistance. We, as both an agency and as committed professionals, are dedicated to providing high quality services in a caring and compassionate manner. For your belief and confidence in our work and your generosity in helping us carry it out, you have my thanks and appreciation. David Gilgoff,
Ph.D.
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