To the editor:
Youth Connections, a 501c3 nonprofit, has happily been serving youth ages 7 to 17 in Johnson County since 1975 through our six programs including Safe Place.
As need for the Safe Place program grew, we implemented the program in Brown County in the fall of 2016. As with many nonprofits these days, Youth Connections is struggling to find and maintain funding.
In October, we received some devastating news, our Safe Place program is in jeopardy. Due to a change in attitude by the federal government for runaway and homeless youth in rural communities, part of our funding has ended a year before it was scheduled to do so.
This has caused Youth Connections to lose $53,000 in federal funding and possibly lose the Safe Place program in its entirety. This program has helped thousands of youth over the years and has effectively helped many youths in Brown County in the past year.
Whether it’s helping a child through a call or text, directing a youth to one of the 11 Safe Place locations in Brown County, guiding a youth on social media issues or giving information through a school presentation on topics important for the youth of today, the Safe Place program helps children for any reason on any day of the year and at any time. We are here 24/7.
As the holiday season is here, we are asking the community to assist Youth Connections with a donation to help us continue our Safe Place program in Brown County. We have also just recently implemented our supervised visitation program in the county as well.
With your support, Youth Connections will be able to continue to enhance the quality of life for youth and their families in the Brown County community.
To make your gift, please send it to Youth Connections, 1195 N. Morton Street Suite A, Franklin, IN 46131 or for more information, call 317-738-3273.
Thank you for your support.
Judith R. Olds, executive director
Send letters to [email protected] by noon Thursday before the date of intended publication (noon Wednesday on holiday weeks). Letters are the opinions of the writer. Letters must be signed by the author and include the writer’s town of residence and a contact number in case of questions. Only one letter every two weeks, per writer, to allow for diversity of voices in the opinions section. Please be considerate of sharing space with other letter-writers and keep your comments concise and to the point. Avoid name-calling, accusations of criminal activity and second- and third-hand statements of “fact.”
