There are about 4,000 homeless youth in San Francisco. At The Crossroads serves about 1,200 of them—the most difficult ones. They are the more likely to be targeted by law enforcement than by service providers. They struggle with substance use and mental health issues. Many are unstably housed and don’t identify as homeless and so may not seek out programs that serve the homeless. Some don’t trust service providers. Some simply don’t know services are available. Some have given up all hope.
The Power of Unconditional Support to Change Lives
“We believe that unconditional relationships can transform the lives of the people that we work with,” says Rob Gitin, Executive Director and Co-Founder of At The Crossroads.
“Our goal with these young people is to help them build outstanding lives as they define them and the basic model is about eliminating all barriers to access,” Gitin says. Building relationships of trust is key. “They have to know that you're there for them through thick and thin and that you're not just saying that but that you will actually live up to that.”