Youth On Their Own (YOTO)

The mission of yoto is to support the high school graduation and continued success of Youth experiencing homelessness in pima county. Services are designed to help meet Youth's basic needs so they can focus less on Their housing instability or food insecurity and more on in-school success. Guidance counselors and social workers within 100+ area schools volunteer Their time to serve as "yoto liaisons" to identify potential homeless students, help them enroll in yoto, and provide additional support to them throughout the year. It is through these school-based liaisons that Youth typically learn about the yoto program. Services available to yoto program participants at no cost, include: - stipends: academic stipends (up to 250/month) based on level of need and reported school attendance; flexible stipends (e.g., covid-19 supplements, holiday stipends); graduation awards; scholarships. - emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, internet/phone bills, medical bills, school fees, etc. - basic needs material support (e.g., hygiene supplies, shelf-stable food, school supplies, etc.) Via the yoto mini-mall, including laptops for online learning and other personal needs (e.g., stroller, child car seats, etc.). - transportation assistance (e.g., monthly bus passes, taxi fares, bicycles). - ongoing academic support, including college and career guidance. - referrals to community partners for housing, healthcare, and other unmet needs. Describe the organization's program service accomplishments for each of its three largest program services, as measured by expenses.section 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organizations are required to report the amount of grants and allocations to others, the total expenses, and revenue, if any, for each program service reported. By providing access to financial assistance, basic needs items, and one- on-one guidance, yoto gives Youth who are experiencing homelessness the tools and support they need to graduate from high school and reach Their goals. Unaccompanied Youth experiencing homelessness depend on school-based supports (teachers/counselors, tutoring, breakfast/lunch services, etc.) And social networks (friends, coaches, teammates, etc.) For positive emotional support, consistency, and temporary housing connections. Accomplishments in our three largest program service areas include: Youth financial assistance: high school students can earn a monthly stipend of up to 250 to incentivize school participation and attendance. Youth in highest-need conditions (those who are living in Their car, parenting, etc.) Earn the highest stipend amount of 250. The majority of Youth earn 160 per month. To receive a stipend, students are required to meet school attendance requirements. All yoto Youth can request emergency financial assistance for rent, utilities, bills, healthcare costs, day care, school fees (testing fees, materials, sports fees, sports equipment, etc. ), and more. In 2022-2023, approximately 1.4m was invested in Youth financial assistance. Basic needs: yoto Youth are provided access to free basic needs items such as food, clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies at the yoto mini- mall. Bus passes and bicycles are also provided to eliminate transportation barriers for students. In 2022-2023, yoto Youth visited the on-site mini mall 3,290 times and distributed 193,466 basic needs items to program participants (a 33% increase from fy22), the majority of which were donated by the community. In addition, yoto distributed 52 bikes, 164 cap and gowns, 111 laptops, 101 cell phone devices, and 17 brand new mattresses through a partnership with sam levitz. Guidance: because yoto Youth are on Their Own, they often lack the support and guidance that comes from a caring parent. Yoto provides one-on-one guidance, encouragement, college and career assistance, and connections to other services in the community. In addition, yoto serves as an advocate for young people when they need support nabigating services and systems.