Dear Friends of Casa Youth Shelter

The world is a different place than it was just a week ago, and there is incredible uncertainty about how things will progress. At times like this I am incredibly grateful for the connections we have formed at Casa Youth Shelter, knowing we will endure and thrive, together. We are doing our best to stay on top of the rapidly evolving situation, and we will continue to provide you updates as things change.

We are committed to remaining open for youth in crisis who need us. The current public health situation is causing anxiety to rise for everyone, and it is exacerbating issues youth were facing before schools closed and they became more isolated. Teenagers experiencing unsafe living conditions, abuse at home, or severely increased family stress due to the pandemic are especially vulnerable. Homeless youth are unable to safely self-quarantine on the streets, further exposing them to illnesses, both physical and mental, and additional trauma. These youth still need a safe place to turn, and we will be here for them for as long as we are able.

Maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our staff and our youth is our highest priority. We have made a number of program, facility, and staffing adjustments so we can continue to serve our vulnerable population, while keeping our people safe. We are following all guidelines from the CDC and the OC HCA, including asking health and travel questions during intake. We have limited personnel on site, canceled all offsite activities, modified all group programs at the shelter, and will provide counseling services and parenting classes via video- or tele-conference. At this critical time, we are getting creative in our approach to delivering our services and continuing our mission to help youth in crisis. For more detailed information on cancellations and modified policies, click here .

Even in the case of a shelter-in-place order, our shelter is an essential resource. We will continue to provide food, shelter, and counseling, and our staff will continue to do their quietly heroic work to keep our kids safe.

The impact of the current situation is not yet known, but we know that our people are our most important resource, and we are grateful for your commitment to our youth and your continued support and compassion as we navigate these unprecedented circumstances together. We will continue to share updates and stories here on our website, and via Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , and email , so stay tuned.

Wishing you and your loved ones well, and please continue to take care of yourselves and each other.

From our home to yours,

Executive Director

Casa Youth Shelter