The Grays Harbor Youth Center, Aberdeen’s longstanding youth shelter, is closing down at 7 a.m. Monday, Aug. 13.
According to Stacey Johnson, the youth center’s program supervisor, a mix of financial troubles and a switch in focus to other youth services were why Catholic Community Services (CCS) decided to close it.
“It’s the combination in the change of service, and the diminishing funds,” Johnson said. “We had funding from the county and a couple private funders, but it wasn’t something substantial enough to continue each year.”
CCS, which manages the youth center, says other services that deal with young people in the context of family and behavioral issues are expanding and have led to less of a need for youth shelters.
“We’ve seen a significant expansion of services, such as our Family Behavioral Health program that can work with youth in different ways, which has resulted in reduced need for emergency shelter,” wrote Mike Curry, director of operations for CCS in a press release.
Johnson added that other social service programs that work more directly with youth could be partly why the shelter is closing.
In February, funding issues forced the shelter to close during the daytime. Since losing 24-hour service, Johnson said she has noticed fewer youth coming by. The shelter is operated out of the basement of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church. It currently has six beds for youths to stay overnight, but only a few of them get filled each night, Johnson said.
Since opening in 2007, in partnership with Grays Harbor County and other private funders, the Grays Harbor Youth Center has provided shelter and support services to hundreds of youths experiencing homelessness in Grays Harbor County.
“It’s a loss for the youth, because sometimes they just need a place to stay while they get back on their feet and back on track,” Johnson said. “I do feel there’s still a need for the shelter because we still serve youth.”
In addition to beds, the shelter provides free meals, laundry services, access to medical and dental care, and staff who assisted in finding stable housing.
Johnson said local social service providers have offered to help the shelter’s youths find places to stay, and she guessed they would be able to find somewhere to stay with friends.
In the release, Curry wrote that Catholic Community Services would continue to provide its other services in the area, such as Feed the Hungry, Volunteer Services, Family and Adult Behavioral Health, and partnerships like Youth Works.
“While it breaks my heart to see the program end, stepping aside to make room for new services will allow Grays Harbor to more effectively deploy its limited resources in the future and allow it the time to do that with minimal negative impact,” wrote Curry, who’s originally from Aberdeen.
Questions relating to the Youth Center or other services can be directed to the Grays Harbor Youth Center at 360-589-3259 through Aug. 13. Direct contact information for other local services offered by Catholic Community Services can be found online at ccsww.org.
