The Relatives’ Family Update – May 2019
Please ensure you scroll down to read all of the recent stories in this month’s newsletter. If you would like to be added to our email distribution please email your information to development@therelatives.org.
Celebrating 45 Years!
The Relatives was founded in 1974 by members of the Dilworth Methodist Church and first operated in the basement of the church. Legend has it that the volunteers would often hear the youth telling friends or others that they were staying “with relatives” because they were too ashamed to admit they were homeless and sleeping in a church basement. After a short time operating without a name, its founders realized that The Relatives was a perfect name to help these youth feel comfortable and safe.
After the program outgrew the church property, it moved to a home on East Boulevard where it continued operating until the mid-1980s when it opened in its current location at 1100 East Boulevard. The home on East Boulevard continues to house one of the organization’s programs – The Youth Crisis Center. This program helps children ages 7-17 who are homeless, runaway, or awaiting placement in a foster care home.
The Relatives was born out of a quick exchange with volunteers, but the idea of family has become the stronghold of our mission. From this initial conversation, stemmed a support system and family that would transform our community over the next 45 years.
It is hard to believe that our organization has grown from our house on East Boulevard to now a nationally recognized community leader. Within the last 9 years, The Relatives have expanded services to meet community needs by creating programming for disconnected young adults, ages 16-24, that specifically focuses on economic mobility. These services, which include a young adult resource center uptown and a housing program, help avert future community costs in homelessness, incarceration and public assistance and prepare young adults for self-sufficiency and independence.
A family, supports you, loves you and never gives up on you. Together we are all Relatives to the more than 5,000 children, youth, and young adults that seek refuge through all of our doors.
You Are Impacting Lives
Your support of The Relatives is essential! You give over 5,000 young people in our community a family; you provide safety; you prevent and end homelessness; you help the youth in our community reach independence. We are grateful!
Please take the time to look through our most recent annual report where you can read significant statistics, see your impact, and hear inspiring success stories.
We sincerely thank all of our donors, volunteers and community supporters for “Being a Relative” to youth in crisis.
Strides for Shelter
We are thrilled to be the beneficiary for this year’s Strides for Shelter 5K! Proceeds from this race will help us replace our youth crisis center van – it has over 100,000 miles on it, so it’s “run its course”. Register today to help support The Relatives!
Summer Is Coming
Fun In The Sun
School is almost out and that means the kids at our youth crisis center are with us all day long during the summer. We already have one beach trip planned, but we are always looking for ways to treat our kids to experiences they’ll never forget. You can give a gift that will turn summer dreams into a reality.
