The South Los Angeles Homeless Transition Age Youth (TAY) and Foster Care Collaborative (Collaborative) is building strategic partnerships to prevent and end youth homelessness in South Los Angeles.  Our movement is aimed at raising awareness, increasing resources through community planning and leveraging, and devising community-driven solutions.  Funded by The California Wellness Foundation, the Collaborative has launched a community planning process that is focused on engaging TAY, nonprofit and government agencies serving homeless TAY and foster care youth, businesses, and other community stakeholders.  Our effort is focused on developing solutions and strategies that are inclusive of the community, aiming for high participation and interactive engagement.  The overall goal of the community planning process is to develop a comprehensive plan for South Los Angeles to prevent and end youth homelessness.  This will help guide how future investment and resources are made; how services are delivered to meet the needs of homeless TAY; and how agencies and the community are working together to make systematic change in South Los Angeles.  There are different ways to get involved, contribute, and participate!  We encourage you to be active in this process. 

Text Box: Planning Sessions & Activities • Attend monthly collaborative meetings. • Participate in workgroup sessions to be scheduled during the month of May 2014. • Attend the Second Annual TAY Summit on March 15, 2014. • Participate in half-day planning sessions in June and July 2014. • Participate in TAY focus groups scheduled through June 2014. • Participate in service provider focus groups. Text Box: Engagement & Outreach • Become a “Community Ambassador” to help build relationships and engage the broader community. • Receive training on community engagement and outreach techniques as a “Community Ambassador” team member. • Mentor TAY Community Ambassadors that will be recruited to outreach to the TAY population. • Identify organizations and individuals to participate in the planning process.
Text Box: Asset Mapping & Surveys • Provide information on housing and shelter services. • Complete surveys specific to agencies that service or provide resources to TAY. • Help recruit or support TAY to complete surveys that will focus on capturing their needs. • Encourage participation of faith-based leaders and churches to complete agency surveys. • Provide volunteers to help complete surveys.
Text Box: Our Community Planning Advisory Committee • Gerald Thompson, Collaborative Executive Director • Stephanie Inyama, Community & Organizational Consultant • Janet Kelly, Collaborative Board Member & Sanctuary of Hope Executive Director • Angela Rosales, Corporation for Supportive Housing • Ronald Williams, Consultant