New Avenues for Youth: Committed to Helping Homeless and At-Risk Youth

(from the December 2008 Newsletter)

The mission of New Avenues for Youth is to help every youth reach his or her fullest potential by offering a continuum of outcome-based services that empower homeless youth to exit street life and that prevent at-risk youth from becoming homeless. Its programs are focused in the areas of stabilization; outreach and engagement; early intervention and prevention; and skill building.

Since first in investing in 2007, Social Venture Partners Portland has supported the Fostering for Independence Project (FIP), a pilot project aimed at local and national expansion. FIP is utilizing proactive detection, prevention and intervention mechanisms to identify foster youth at risk of running away and becoming homeless. Some of our key objectives include increasing capacity to serve more youth; coordinating services to address resource gaps that create barriers for foster youth; and potentially developing a new foster parent recruitment program.

Given its strong reputation and the appeal of its mission, several SVPP partners have been actively involved with New Avenues and FIP. Laura Finney took an early role in launching the FIP program, helping prepare New Avenues to administer Individual Development Accounts and improving the organization’s database. Martha Soltesz played a hands-on role working directly with homeless and at-risk youth at the New Avenues in-house school.

Since recently renewing its investment, SVPP has continued an active role as Mark Holloway led an organizational assessment and Adam Light has been working with New Avenues on its IT advisory group as well as its ongoing strategic planning. Drew Smith is getting involved to help develop a more sustainable business plan in light of challenging economic conditions. Currently we have new volunteer opportunities as a business mentor at the Ben & Jerry’s shop run by New Avenues and with the innovative Promoting Avenues to Employment (PAVE) program.

Wrapping up 2008 in style, New Avenues hosted the SVPP holiday party at its downtown location where we collected 70 warm clothing items valued at more than $1,500 from generous partners and guests. We look forward to another productive year helping make New Avenues more successful in 2009!