San Diego Youth Services

We invite you to a free community event organized by the California Rare Fruit Growers! Stop by the San Diego Youth Services Spring Valley & East Communities Campus on Saturday, August 17 to learn about how to grow rare fruit and about green stormwater infrastructure improvements! You will also have an opportunity to comment on new green stormwater infrastructure improvements and community amenities being proposed and ask questions of the County of San Diego’s Watershed Protection Program team. The project team will have interactive posters, informational brochures, and free giveaways. We look forward to seeing you there!

Location: SDYS Spring Valley & East Communities Campus, 3845 Spring Drive, 91977
Day: Saturday, August 17, 2024
Time: 9 a.m. to noon

Learn more at tinyurl.com/yt78zze9

Director of Services Haley Veniegas was featured on Drew Schlosberg's Spotlight on the Community! On the podcast, Haley explains the critical state of teen homelessness in San Diego and describes the wrap-around support San Diego Youth Services provides to these children and young adults, including our youth emergency shelter "Storefront".

Listen to the episode: https://cloudcastmedia.us/drew-schlosbergs-spotlight-on-the-community/teen-homelessness-program-helps-teens-go-from-survive-to-thrive

Teen Homelessness Program Helps Teens Go From Survive To Thrive | Cloudcast Media Haley Veniegas, a Director of Services, for the revered San Diego Youth Services, provides the backdrop on the state of teen homelessness in San Diego, while also sharing the well thought out holistic support they provide to homeless teens. Listeners also hear about the legendary "Storefront" which....

Su***de is now the second leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 10 to 24 years old. It is also preventable.

You can help save a life when you shop at the Kendra Scott Give Back Event! Visit the Fashion Valley location on September 21 between 12-2 p.m., and 20% of all purchases will go directly to the San Diego Youth Services su***de prevention program.

If you are not able to make it, use our code GIVEBACK-HCDLB for your online purchases on September 21 and 22.

Thank you, Kendra Scott, for once again partnering with San Diego Youth Services to support this important cause!

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Have you heard of TAY Housing? It's one of our temporary housing programs for youth experiencing homelessness. We provide services to each youth to support their individual goals and their overall goal of becoming stable and independent.

Our program supports foster youth, ages 18-21, and foster youth exiting the system, ages 18-24. Our program is open to both single and parenting youth and has a waitlist because of the high demand for housing assistance.

For more information, visit sdyouthservices.org/services/homeless-housing-and-support.

Our Safe Place and Hillcrest Youth Center have partnered for an LGBTQIA+ affirming, FREE thrifting event this Thursday, August 8th!

Join us at the SDYS Central Drop-In Center from 4-6 p.m. and grab some nice clothes, shoes, and snacks! This event is open to ages 10-24. There will be bathrooms available to try on clothes in so you can be sure to grab something - or many things - that fits you best.

The SDYS Central Drop-In Center is located at 2220 Broadway, San Diego CA 92102. We look forward to seeing you there!

If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Gaby Diaz by calling (619) 990-3651, email the Hillcrest Youth Center at [email protected], or comment below.

Taking care of your mental health is important! We offer mental health services to children, teens and young adults. Link in bio to learn more about mental health, stigma and therapy or visit sdyouthservices.org/mental-health-stigma-therapy.

We are thrilled to announce we are a ! As we commit to making a positive impact on the San Diego community, we hope you will also be inspired to join us in spreading kindness. Thank you !

Thank you CBS 8 San Diego for highlighting the youth homelessness crisis and the services we provide to youth in need!

San Diego Youth Services helps house more than 400 unhoused youth every year The local organization helps youth experiencing homelessness get the support they need through their wrap-around services.

This year, we observe the 10th World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, focusing on raising awareness of the causes and vulnerabilities associated with child trafficking.

San Diego Youth Services has helped thousands of children and young adults who are at risk for trafficking, as well as those who have already been trafficked. Our goal is for the youth we serve to become emotionally and financially self-reliant, so that they are able to overcome the trauma they have experienced, heal and lead productive and healthy lives.

To learn more about our dedicated programs and how you can refer to someone in need, visit our service page: https://sdyouthservices.org/services/child-sex-trafficking-awareness-and-recovery

Our Board of Directors spent a productive and inspiring day at our Annual Board Retreat, focusing on maximizing impact to create brighter futures for as many youth as possible. Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors for your leadership, commitment and dedication to making San Diego a better place for our youth!

To learn more about what we do, visit sdyouthservices.org.

LGBTQ+ youth and their families are welcome at Our Safe Place! The program provides support in all area's of a young person's life, like help meeting basic needs, peer and family support, mental health support, and assistance with academic and employment challenges.

Our Safe Place has one mental health clinic serving those with Medi-Cal, and 5 drop-in centers with no insurance requirements located North, South, Central and East regions of San Diego County.

Learn more: https://sdyouthservices.org/services/our-safe-place/

Become a foster parent and change the life of a foster child! ❤ Our foster families provide safe, stable and healing homes for abused and neglected children. Are you ready to make a heartwarming difference in the life of a child?
👉 To find out more about our foster care program, visit sdyouthservices.org/services/foster-care

We had so much fun at San Diego Pride this past weekend! Thank you to all our amazing staff, volunteers and youth that were involved in making our float, walking in the parade, tabling and participating in the Pride 5k. Happy Pride, San Diego!

Thank you, Encinitas Orthodontics, for providing dental care to one of our youths in need! The teen, a former foster youth who receives services here at San Diego Youth Services, was able to have their braces removed and received a retainer, because of your commitment to making San Diego a better place for youth in need. We are so grateful for your support, Encinitas Orthodontics!

A warm thank you to Blue Iris for your continuous support! This youth-led nonprofit is going above and beyond to help youth in our community.

Not only did they donate Easter baskets to our programs, but they decorated the community room at one of our facilities to bring joy to youth receiving services. On Mother's Day they brought beautiful flowers to mothers housed at San Diego Youth Services.

These young people are a true inspiration. If any youth or group of Scouts are inspired to make a positive community impact, please direct them to our Youth Service Projects page: sdyouthservices.org/youth-projects

Have you been to our Youth Drop-In Center: TAY Academy? For ages 14-25 we offer support and access to basic needs including food, hygiene, showers, laundry, limited storage, referral services, skill development workshops, computer lab, expressive art, resource linkages, and goal planning support. For more information including hours, location, and contact, visit our website sdyouthservices.org/services/homeless-housing-and-support.

Find us at She Fest this Saturday, July 13! She Fest is a free community event that serves as the official kick-off to San Diego Pride Week. She Fest centers q***r women, non-binary people, and all 2SLGBTQ+ people who find community amongst these identities. We hope you’ll join us!

San Diego Youth Services Celebrating over 50 years of empowering youth to reach their highest potential.

This week, United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on Social Media and Youth Mental Health. Read the report here:

Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health Surgeon General Urges Action to Ensure Social Media Environments are Healthy and Safe, as Previously-Advised National Youth Mental Health Crisis Continues

We had a blast at last month's SDYS Staff and Volunteer Appreciation Event!

People came up with some incredible costumes to fit the "Under the Sea" theme. We also enjoyed DIY craft activities, self-care experiences like yoga, and food trucks serving coffee and lunch. This year’s lunch menu was chosen to support our local BIPOC small businesses and restaurants.

Thank you to the hundreds of staff and volunteers who support San Diego's youth!

"Celebrating Pride is important to me because it honors the courage and resilience of the LGBTQI+ community, promotes equality and acceptance, and helps create a world where everyone can live authentically without fear. By standing together, we can support our friends, family and neighbors in their pursuit of love and happiness." - Ember Price, Director of Services

We are happy to share that we have received a $35,000 grant from San Diego Foundation and The San Diego Women's Foundation, to support positive youth development and provide evidence-based mental health practices to address the varied social and economic forces that negatively impact the mental, emotional and behavioral health of opportunity youth.

San Diego Foundation, San Diego Women’s Foundation Grant $875,000 to Local Nonprofits Supporting Children & Youth Mental Health, Resiliency June 14, 2024 – San Diego, CA – San Diego Foundation (SDF) and San Diego Women’s Foundation, a supporting organization of SDF, today announced $875,000 in

"Amidst the rainbow flags and glitter, it is integral we acknowledge the roots of Pride, which began as an annual commemoration acknowledging the 6 days of riots following a raid of Stonewall, a gay bar in NYC. While Pride has blossomed into joy and celebration, we should not lose sight of the strength, activism, and quite literal fight of Black and Trans women who fought back and paved the way for us all today. Currently, across the nation, our Trans community especially needs ALL of our support and legislation to protect and honor their wellbeing.

We celebrate to appreciate history and remind us of our unity through community." - Kate DeBerardinis, Program Director, Our Safe Place

"The truth is, no one of us can be free, until everybody is free." - Maya Angelou

"Pride serves as a reminder of our inherent worth, strengths and the possibilities within us all." - Steven Jellá, Chief Program Officer

Join us tomorrow Saturday, June 22, for a community event with SEEDS: Sustainable Environments & Engaged Development Strategies.

Activities include:

• A fruit preservation workshop with the California Rare Fruit Growers
• A bike repair workshop with Bikes del Pueblo. Bring your bike and get some help getting it fixed up and ready to ride!
• A short, slow paced group bike ride at noon. Bring water & a helmet.

For more information, visit: www.theSVCA.org

When youth step through our doors, they are met with full acceptance of who they are and are offered free, supportive resources.

San Diego Youth Services’ Our Safe Place staff work with the youth (and their families!) to identify goals and provide assistance addressing different areas of need, including basic needs, academic challenges and employment challenges. Clinical staff provide help with depression, anxiety and trauma that often result when youth have experienced hostility at home, school or in their community.

Additionally, the LGBTQ Safe STAY Wellness Center provides up to 21 beds and supportive services to youth ages 18-24 who are experiencing homelessness.

See a full list of our LGBTQ+ Services: https://sdyouthservices.org/lgbtq

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"As the Chief Human Resources Officer at San Diego Youth Services, it is my job to create and promote an inclusive, open and healthy work environment for our staff. By recognizing PRIDE, we celebrate all our LGBTQ+ staff and their accomplishments and contributions, creating an atmosphere that promotes acceptance, equality and belonging for them, and all staff. SDYS is a safe place to work where staff can be themselves, no matter who they love or how they identify. Our rich staff diversity is an important part of what makes SDYS a great place to work. Happy Pride!" ~ Kristen Diggs, Chief Human Resources Officer

San Diego Youth Services Celebrating over 50 years of empowering youth to reach their highest potential.