Partnering with the Vera Institute, the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester Inc. (YSOW) in Mount Vernon will be receiving a $250,000 unrestricted operating grant from the MacKenzie Scott Foundation and making a commitment to share 25% percent with a series of unrestricted community grants.
Vera President Nicholas R. Turner said, “At Vera, we are committed to building not just our own power, but that of our partners and the field in which we work, and this is one tangible way in which we can do so.””¯”¯”¯
Joanne Dunn, executive director of the Youth Shelter said, “We are so honored to be selected for this very generous grant. It will support the shelter with the critical funding needed to expand existing programs and serve the community in meaningful ways.”
For more than 40 years, the Youth Shelter Program of Westchester has been providing a home-like alternative to incarceration programming for young men between the ages of 18-24 awaiting disposition or sentencing for various criminal charges.
Annually, through both residential and community aftercare the Youth Shelter serves over 150 youth with a 90% pass/improvement rate on all academic standardized tests to ensure all of its youth are on track to obtain their high school equivalency diploma.
YSOW is a one-of-a-kind organization in New York state and is the only alternative to incarceration programming within Westchester County to serve emerging adults within the criminal justice system.
