Valley Youth House (VYH) is honored to receive a grant of $20,000 from the S. Albert Fund of The Philadelphia Foundation to support services for homeless young people in Philadelphia. The S. Albert Fund is a strong supporter of VYH and we are thrilled to continue the partnership into the new year. A portion of the funds will go towards the Pride program, a housing program for homeless LGBTQ youth. Nationally 40% of homeless young people identify as LGBTQ, and recent Youth Counts have confirmed that the statistic holds true for Philadelphia as well. The Pride program provides housing, life skills counseling, and other support services for young people to gain stability and build a strong foundation for the future. The grant will also supply funds to purchase beds for 25 young people in Pride who are transitioning from housing instability into their own apartment. Often, these youth move into their apartments without very few furniture items or household supplies. This funding will ensure that at least 25 Pride youth will sleep in a brand new bed on their very first night in a new apartment. Finally, a portion of the funds will support the Synergy Project, a street outreach program that offers survival supplies, peer support, informal counseling, information and referral services and assistance. The mission of the program is to meet the youth where they are – to go to them. Street outreach coordinators visit freight train yards, transportation stations, tent cities and homeless camps offering assistance to the hundreds of young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability in Philadelphia. Valley Youth House is incredibly grateful to the S. Albert Fund and to The Philadelphia Foundation for their continued support and collaboration.