The Fall 2021 Strive to Thrive class selected CEDARS Youth Services as a recipient of a $5,000 grant. The nonprofit organization has been established since 1947, reaching over 1,850 kids and families just this past year. CEDARS has many programs that are primarily focused on serving at-risk youth and families in need of support in the Lincoln community.
One of CEDARS' programs is Street Outreach Services, which provides assistance to runaway, homeless, and at-risk youth in the community. This program gives youth the ability to reach out for help without feeling judged and gives them the opportunity to work towards permanent living arrangements and safe shelter. In 2017, they expanded their Street Outreach Services to include a newly opened Youth Opportunity Center (YOC). The YOC is CEDARS' drop-in center where they welcome transition-age youth (13-21) to stop by for hot meals, do laundry, follow hygiene routines, finish job and housing applications, get education support, or simply get a chance to relax.
Last year’s Strive to Thrive Lincoln grant funds were allocated to support the Youth Opportunity Center. Specifically, the grant was used toward food and hygiene products for the YOC. This helped ensure that the shelves were full and CEDARS had all necessities in stock.
We were fortunate to have Christina Lloyd, YOC program director, and Jim Blue, CEDARS President and CEO, visit our class this semester to share with us the successes of the program, as well as the ongoing challenges local youth face. Their visit helped us understand why our peers in the previous class made the wise choice to support CEDARS with a Strive to Thrive Lincoln grant.
Learn more about the amazing work of CEDARS Youth Services: https://cedarskids.org