Our Mission

Casa Youth Shelter serves and nurtures youth in crisis with shelter, counseling, and support services, empowering them to come through their crisis with increased confidence, stability, and tools for continued growth.

 

Our Vision

A community where all adolescents in crisis have a safe place to stay, in an environment that promotes personal growth and healthy relationships.

 

Our Founder, Myldred E. Jones

Casa Youth Shelter’s founder, Myldred E. Jones, was a resident of Los Alamitos for 38 years and a woman of deep faith. A retired Navy Lieutenant Commander, her military and humanitarian service earned recognition from five U.S. presidents, Generals Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf, and Pope John XXII. She dedicated her life to helping others—consistently showing up for those in need with compassion, service, and purpose.

Born in Philadelphia, the second of four children, Myldred earned her B.A. in Sociology and Social Studies from Wittenberg College in Springfield, Ohio, and later pursued graduate studies at UCLA in Sociology and Public Administration. She was teaching high school at the Frances de Paux School for Mexican Girls when, in 1942, the wartime call to duty led her into the Navy. She was part of the first contingent of California WAVES called to active duty.

At a time when marriage and motherhood were not permitted for career military women, Myldred chose a life of service. She served with distinction through World War II, the Korean War, and the years that followed, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Along the way, she broke barriers as the first female faculty member at the Armed Forces Graduate School of Information, served as Assistant Director of the Department of Welfare for the Navy Relief Society, and acted as the Naval Liaison to both the United Nations and the American Red Cross.

 

Activist at Heart

After her military discharge, she was active in the Civil Rights Movement, marching with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery. She helped desegregate an Episcopal Church near Selma, as well as a military officers’ club. She later worked in Watts and East Los Angeles, continuing this work with teenagers and underserved communities.

During an 18-month assignment as a Consultant for Youth Affairs, Myldred worked with then-Governor of California Ronald Reagan, conducting a study of issues affecting youth in crisis. Because of that experience, she participated in the establishment of the first Adolescent Hotline at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles. Subsequently, hotlines spread across the nation and are now international. She also founded We Care, which offers aid to the homeless and near-homeless, and the Southern California Hotline, which averages 1,000 calls a month from people in crisis situations. These nonprofit organizations were all dedicated to youth in need.

Through her work, she recognized the desperate need to shelter runaway and abandoned teens who faced danger on the streets. She believed deeply in the dignity and rights of underserved communities, including farm workers, and was drawn to Los Alamitos—then a small farming town—where she saw firsthand the needs of local youth and families. She sold her Rossmoor home and used the proceeds to purchase two adjacent lots in Los Alamitos. This property became Casa Youth Shelter.

 

Starting Casa Youth Shelter

At the age of 69, Myldred moved into a tiny house and built Casa Youth Shelter next door. On opening day, April 7, 1978, the first youth walked through our doors. She ran and supervised the three-bedroom home, which sheltered up to six young people at a time.

While resources were limited, the vision was not. From the beginning, Casa was built with the intention to grow and meet the needs of more youth over time. With a backyard garden, the generosity of neighbors and friends, and her unwavering faith, Myldred provided food, clothing, and care to the youth who came through her doors.

What began as a lifelong vision became a reality. The woman who had dedicated her life to service would go on to spend 29 years accepting, loving, and sheltering youth in crisis.

For many, Casa was the first place they experienced what a safe and stable home could feel like—sharing meals, talking about their day, and contributing to a household. Long after leaving, many returned to visit, sharing updates about new jobs, milestones, and growing families.

It was a remarkable undertaking for a 69-year-old to start and sustain a youth shelter. But she often said she never did it alone. Volunteers, donors, and community members showed up exactly when they were needed. Sometimes support came as an anonymous check; other times it was a knock at the door with food, clothing, or a few dollars.

With that support—and the leadership of an active Board of Directors—the organization grew. By 1984, the original 6-bed shelter expanded to 12 beds, along with a two-story building for meetings, classes, and counseling. Over time, Casa expanded its impact to include anger management programs in local schools and multilingual parenting classes.

In 2008, Myldred’s cottage was transformed into the Myldred E. Jones Recreation Courtyard, fulfilling one of her long-held wishes. In 2018, Casa Youth Shelter purchased the neighboring property, continuing to build on her vision and expand services for youth in crisis.

Because of Myldred’s vision, Casa Youth Shelter continues to serve as a safe haven for youth in need. Since opening day, the shelter has never closed its doors, and every young person who comes to Casa is welcomed with care, dignity, and support.

Her legacy lives on through the staff, volunteers, donors, and community who continue to carry this work forward every day.