Happy New Year from all of us at Second Story! We begin this new year filled with gratitude – for our dedicated staff, who pushed through another year of change and unpredictability, for you, our community, who has been faithful in supporting us through the challenges the pandemic has brought, and for the young people we serve, who allow us to be part of their second stories.
A review of some of the ways you helped us support youth this year, from each of our program managers:
Second Story for Young Mothers
“One of Second Story for Young Mothers’ clients received a scholarship from Generation Hope. Generation Hope provides scholarships to parents who are working towards higher education. The scholarships do not only include financial support, but peer support, networking opportunities, and mentoring support, just to name a few. This scholarship was especially helpful, as Generation Hope assists individuals throughout their higher education goals. The client who was awarded this scholarship expressed excitement and a sense of security with this accomplishment.” – Kesha Taffe, Program Manager – Second Story for Young Mothers
Second Story for Homeless Youth
“Second Story for Homeless Youth was able to build on the technology and support that we learned when the pandemic first hit our programs. We were still able to support our clients, and 100% of our eligible seniors graduated from high school. We have gotten creative with Zoom and FaceTime and having socially distanced meetings. Staff have continued to provide resources and donations as clients have started to get back on their feet. We were also very happy and thankful to all our donors who continue to provide vital items our clients need. One group donated spa gift baskets to our clients who are mothers, we were able to provide clients with Thanksgiving baskets, and we were able to provide requested holiday gifts to all of our clients. I am especially grateful for Second Story’s community for allowing us to continue to provide greatly-needed support through donations, rent, food, toiletries, and household items. -Angel Cregge, Program Manager – Second Story for Homeless Youth
Second Story in the Community
“This past year we opened our doors to in-person programming again for our afterschool youth programs and our Family Resource Centers to continue to serve in our communities. We connected our clients to much-needed services such as rental assistance and health insurance and helped some of our most food insecure community members by continuing our food distributions twice a week. We also resumed our annual events such as giving hundreds of backpacks to children in our communities through our back-to-school event, distributing Thanksgiving baskets and turkeys, and giving holiday presents to the youth in our programs and also to the communities of Springfield and Culmore.
We also have been able to form a stronger partnership with the Fairfax County Health Department and other local partners to support and host Equity Clinics to encourage vaccination in our communities. We are starting a new initiative, Health Literacy, to further educate and empower those who face barriers in advocating for themselves to make better-informed decisions regarding their health. I am grateful for Second Story’s community for allowing us to reach out to those who might not have anywhere else to go for help. This year we were able to step in and let others know we stand with them and will support them in the best way possible through their hardships.” -Kimberlyn Pena, Program Manager — Second Story in the Community
Second Story for Teens in Crisis
This past year Second Story for Teens in Crisis provided a safe space to 57 teens during the 2021 calendar year. To meet the needs of the community, we created a trauma-informed space for our teens to learn to use coping skills and improve their mental health. I am especially grateful for Second Story’s community for allowing us to provide food, hygiene products, and a safe space to teens in crisis to take a break from home. -Lauren Luberda, Program Manager – Second Story for Teens in Crisis
Here’s to another year of serving youth together. If you’re new to our community, or simply would like to learn more about what we do, we’d love to have you join us for our next Open Door Information Session next week, please register to attend.
