The Thrive Youth Center for homeless LGBTQ youth is partnering with more than 30 other agencies and service providers for a one-day event on April 27 designed to benefit the city’s homeless population.
The first annual See One/Say One event will seek to connect participants to services and resources directly on-site, offering instant access to necessities which can often take months of time and effort to acquire.
The event, which is being staged in San Pedro Park with a grant from Starbucks, hopes to help around 100 people by providing assistance with HIV rapid testing, mental and physical health counseling, housing resources, immediate clothing needs, education, violence prevention and recovery, ID recovery, and legal services.
According to statistics provided by Thrive, in 2018, 3066 homeless people were counted in San Antonio. Of that number, 522 were children. The number of homeless youth saw an increase of 61 percent. In San Antonio, 50 percent of homeless youth, 18 to 24, identify as LGBTQ.
The Thrive Youth Center opened its doors on February 28, 2015 at Haven for Hope. It has over 1,400 square feet of space which includes dorms, bathrooms, offices and a reception area.
“With funding from Housing and Urban Development for housing opportunities and the City of San Antonio for youth street outreach programming, Thrive Youth Center brings hope, daily necessities and resource connections to known homeless areas within San Antonio,” Greg Casillas, Thrive Youth Center Life Skills Program manager said in a press release. “These efforts provide connection to services the youth need to get on their feet, and is an essential part of serving our most vulnerable residents.”
Casillas said the See One/Help One event also will serve to educate San Antonians about the ways they can help end homelessness in the city and bring awareness to organizations that need support.
Thrive Youth Center 1st Annual See One/Help One, Saturday, April 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at San Pedro Park, 2200 North Flores.
