Reflection: The Holidays at Second Story by Michelle Stitt

Picture of Holiday Gifts

“The holidays can sometimes be a challenging time for the youth in Second Story for Homeless Youth. Many youth have approached staff and said they do not celebrate the holidays at all, and do not receive any gifts from anyone in their lives. The terrific thing about the holiday season at Second Story is that our generous community of supporters allows us to give our youth some holiday spirit! Because of community donations, this year we were able to provide multiple gifts to every single one of our homeless youth clients as well as their children. The youth expressed their sincere gratitude to community members. Below are some of their responses they shared with staff:

‘Thank you! I really like the gifts!’
‘Ahhh! I love them! Thank you!’
‘The gifts I received were perfect. Thank you so much.’
‘Your gifts helped make my Christmas special.’
‘I was having a really bad week and the gifts made my day. I wanted to thank the people that supplied the gifts.’

And one youth reported that she was speechless but thankful and had tears in her eyes as she received her gifts.”

-Michelle Stitt, Program Manager – Second Story for Homeless Youth

Thank you for your generosity in helping make young people’s holidays brighter!
Check out a few shots from the holidays in our other programs:

Celebrating the Holidays at Culmore Safe Youth Project
Celebrating the Holidays at Culmore Community Services
Celebrating the Holidays at Second Story for Young Mothers

Need Help?

If you need help right away, our 24/7 hotline provides support and referrals to services in the Washington DC metro area.
Call 1-800-SAY-TEEN or text “TEENHELP” to 855-11

Your Impact

We make every dollar count. The direct support of young people, their families and their communities, is our first priority. Here are examples of how your donation may be used.

$20,000

  • Three high school students experiencing homelessness receive a full year of rental assistance and support services so they can remain in school and graduate with their class.

$1,000

  • One teenager receives a safe haven, warm bed, food, and round-the-clock support for five nights at Second Story for Teens in Crisis, or
  • Eight months of therapy for a young woman in the Second Story for Young Mothers program.

$500

  • One teen receives daily counseling during a three-week stay at Second Story for Teens in Crisis, or
  • Twenty counseling sessions for the children and teens who are at-risk and participating in our after-school programs.

$100

  • Three teens receive a therapy session at Second Story for Teens in Crisis, or
  • Two weeks of food for a young mother and her child at Second Story for Young Mothers.

Thank you for your support!