CLEVELAND — Because of the community’s generosity, a new space at Laura’s Home Women’s Crisis Center, which is operated by non-profit The City Mission, will give homeless teenagers a place where they can leave life’s difficulties at the door.
The so-called teen room features different spaces that will allow teenagers to work out, play video games, read, study and congregate with other kids their age. Construction took several weeks but was finally completed in late January. The teenagers who will use the space wasted no time making it their own.
Several pieces of their hand-made artwork hangs on a wall above the kitchenette.
“A space like this for our teens is desperately needed because they have gone through an impeccable amount of trauma and loss,” said Michael Hahn, the program manager at Laura’s Home. “It’s absolutely necessary for them to see that transformation in their lives.”
On Giving Tuesday, which is the day after Cyber Monday in late November, The City Mission put out a plea on social media, asking people to contribute whatever they could to the project. Cleveland-based Bravo Wellness offered to contribute a $5,000 match to the project.
In total, the 24-hour campaign netted $18,000.
“We were all shocked and just so grateful for the city of Cleveland,” said Christina Hahn, the family ministry coordinator for The City Mission. She and Michael Hahn are married. “They really believe in what we are doing here.”
In addition to providing an emergency shelter for women and their children, Laura’s Home provides long-term programming to lift homeless women and children out of poverty and homelessness.
“Homelessness in this city for families particularly is a crisis,” Michael Hahn said. “You won’t see them under a bridge or on Euclid Avenue. They’re going from couch to couch to couch to couch from other families. They aren’t on the streets. It is a crisis. Last year there were 3,000 homeless kids in the CMSD school district.”
Eventually, those kids become teenagers, who will have a unique set of needs. Laura’s Home has always had programming and specialized spaces for adults and children. Now, families of all different structures and compositions can be accommodated because of the teen room. Later this year, Laura’s Home will begin an in-depth mentorship program specially targeted to teens and young adults.
Providing services to teenagers is especially vital, Michael Hahn said.
“It’s those who are going to break the cycle of generational poverty by making sure they are linked with long term services,” Hahn said.
