Power Plus Literacy

Program Overview

Youth Power Plus

A Safe Haven provides mentoring as an out-of-school social-cognitive intervention program for at risk homeless youth in grades 8- 10th, integrating academics and socio-emotional wellness.

Youth mentoring takes place on-site at A Safe Haven's main location in North Lawndale. It is geared at building youth academic skills, life skills, self-confidence and relationship and communication skills with engaging, hands-on activities. The mission of youth mentoring is to empower youth in our community to make positive life choices enabling them to maximize their personal potential. Mentors provide educational and social opportunities to enhance the academic performance and the social-emotional skills of youth.

Power Plus Literacy Project will allow mentors to focus on developmentally appropriate literacy interactions with students. Mentors and youth will engage in partner reading of a notable young adult trade book with reading support and
modeling from the mentor, and engage in meaningful dialogue and an artistic and written expression of important themes from the text. Research shows that effectiveness of intensive one-on one interactions around meaningful texts. As United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations explains, "literacy is crucial to the acquisition, by every child, youth and adult, of essential life skills."

Cost Info

Student and Volunteer Success Stories

A Young Man Determined to Succeed and to Provide for His Beautiful New

Family Dontrell, a caring young man with hopes and dreams, found himself homeless at the age of eighteen, as a result of his mother's and step-father's addiction to drugs. After only completing a few months of college at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, this bright young man was forced to drop out. As an all-too-familiar consequence of the dysfunctionality associated with drug use disorders, the family was evicted, and Dontrell had no idea where to go until he learned about Mercy Boys and Girls club. He had nothing to lose and bravely sought help. After his time at Mercy, Dontrell continued to seek

support in finding stability in his unstable conditions, and came to A Safe Haven's Youth Overnight Shelter in June of 2017, returning night after night. A Safe Haven Foundation provided
him a place with basic comforts to which he otherwise had no access--a place to shower, clean his clothing, eat nutritious meals, and sleep in a warm bed. Each morning, he awoke, ate breakfast and went to work at General Dollar. After 31
days returning each night to the Emergency Shelter, Dontrell was assessed and was offered a bed in our Interim Housing Program, where he remained for 6 months.

While in the Interim program, he enrolled in ASHF Workforce Development Job Readiness Program, which he a attended on his off-days from work and successfully completed, and upon completion he was offered a job in ASHF Landscaping which he held for 6 months. This persistent young man then enrolled in A Safe Haven's Vocational Skills Training, began to pursue his GED; and completed the Security Training program, and he now holds a PERC Certificate and is gainfully employed full-time as a Security Guard.

Dontrell has since met his soulmate and is now the loving and doting father of a newborn little boy – 3 weeks old today; Dontrell
feels he is ready to step up and not just be a father, but a responsible and dedicated DAD and family member. He and
his fiancé have plans to marry, and after the year-long struggle with homelessness, he vows he's not looking back for a moment. He is serious about managing his money and
paying his rent, and looks forward to supporting his beautiful new family. He feels like he is an improved man. A Safe Haven showed him a lot about how to communicate with people, and the people he has encountered during his stay kept him in a good mood and looking forward to a bright future; what was once awaiting in the bright future is now a present reality. He and his new family have moved in to their own apartment and he swears by a motto he adopted while at ASHF, "No excuses, just solutions".

Dontrell shares, "I would like to thank ASHF for making me a much smarter person since I first arrived. Had I known I would have been here for one year, I would not have wasted as much time as I had. My case Manager, Syndey, always reinforced in me that I could be someone, and I got there, and I am truly grateful!"