Thank you to the Santander Bank Foundation for donating $7,500 to VYH to benefit our Supportive Housing Program in the Lehigh Valley.  The program provides young, homeless families with the assistance and case management services they need to secure permanent housing.  “Funding from the Santander Foundation will provide homeless families with the necessities they need to transition to housing,” said Michele Albright, Supportive Housing Program Supervisor, “Many families enter the program with little more than the clothes on their backs. This grant will allow our families to stock their homes with food, purchase beds and other essential furnishings, and buy clothes for work or interviews.”

To ensure positive outcomes in establishing long-term housing stability and success, an individual goal plan is designed for each family outlining their housing, education, employment, and life skill development needs. The Supportive Housing Program also addresses the health care, developmental and daycare requirements of its clients. Case management begins when families first enter emergency shelter, continues when the family moves into transitional housing subsidized by the Program, and extends until the family is able to sustain housing without a subsidy.   From September 2014 to September 2015, Supportive Housing for Families housed 16 families. Eighty-three percent of the families completing services last year were successful in meeting housing, education, and employment goals.

“Valley Youth House is a beacon of hope for our young neighbors who need a little guidance to get back on their feet,” said Gwen Robinson, Managing Director of Community Development at Santander Bank. “By partnering with VYH, we can assist the organization in its effort to help clients build a strong foundation that will improve their lives and move them from dependency to self-sufficiency.”