SEA HAVEN, INC.

Homelessness is real and right here in Horry County You see it almost everyday. The guy walking down the street looking all the worse for wear. You can pinpoint him as probably homeless, but what about the teenager with the backpack behind him about 20 yards. He looks fresh and clean…really just another kid hanging out. What you don’t know, is he is probably carrying everything he owns, going from one spot to another so he doesn’t get into trouble for loitering.

Camping in the woods is fun… Living in the woods is not.

Local Encampments

Encampments Homemade Toilet Bridge to camp

Please Remember…

Statistically Speaking Sea Haven services youth from 13 up to 22 years of age At age 15 is when most youth become homeless for the first time Normally, youth spend at least 2 years living on the streets More than 60 % are victimized in some way Close to 40 % identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Over half have been in foster care with a 2 year or more history of homelessness

Statistics cont. 55% need a safe place to stay, rest, study or just hang out during the day. Over half need help obtaining help with education Over 70 % need help finding a job or job-training 66 % need help with transportation 60 % need clothing, and 54% need laundry facilities These stats are consistent with what we see here locally. The age group at Project Lighthouse usually sits at the 18 to 19 year old range. They range from on the streets homeless, to living couch to couch.

Local Trends With the increase in the use of heroin and synthetic marijuana we are seeing an increased amount of youth just beginning to transition into psychosis, but do not qualify for mental health services. This leaves a huge gap in service that needs to be provided for. The area youth are struggling to find year-round employment and thus, are having trouble maintaining payments for housing and utilities. The area is also seeing an influx of youth that speak different languages and are being lost in translation, both literally and physically. Youth are having troubles with transportation, child care and parental support is often lacking. So, who does this burden fall upon?? The social workers and human service providers are the first line of defense in trying to fight the stigma of homelessness.

A little about who we are and what we do!

Sea Haven’s Shelter Home The Sea Haven Shelter is a residential home, licensed by the South Carolina Department of Social Services, in which youth ages 13-17 needing short term shelter can live temporarily. The shelter is a family style household with a structured environment and daily activities for the youth in residence. The shelter is manned 24 hours a day and 7 days a week to ensure the safety of the youth. Age appropriate youth are enrolled in school and tutoring can be provided for areas that need attention.

Sea Haven’s Transitional Living Program • Find safe housing through Sea Haven’s rental assistance program. • Helping you kick bad habits such as smoking, drinking, or using drugs. • Getting regular check-ups with doctors, dentists, and counselors if necessary. • Help with filling out job applications and interviewing for jobs. • Help with getting your Diploma, GED, Trade Certificate, or College Degree, with an on-site GED Program. • Teaching teen moms and dads skills to take care of their child/children.

Sea Haven’s Project Lighthouse Project Lighthouse is on the front lines of the battle against youth homelessness. We are the street outreach aspect of the program. We go to the areas where we find the “traveling” youth in an environment that is comfortable to them. We act as the liaison for Sea Haven when it comes to initial youth contact. Project Lighthouse is here to ask the one question……What can I do to help you right now in the situation that you are in? Whether it be a shower, clean clothes or simply a safe place to hang out, we can provide those needed services. Project Lighthouse is the ONLY drop-in center of its kind in the entire State of South Carolina. This provides a unique opportunity to those in the community that are seeking to assist the youth in need. For three years now we have operated without the much needed federal funding. Through the donations and charity of others we are able to keep the lights on and the door open for those in need. This year we received funding, but we still depend on local supportters.

Safe Place Safe Place is a nationally acclaimed youth outreach program that involves the whole community to provide safe havens and resources for youth in crisis. It is a way for community youth services agencies to partner with businesses, schools, and other community organizations to help young people. The program creates a network of “Safe Place” locations (youth friendly business, schools, fire stations, libraries, bus stations, and other public buildings) that displays the safe place sign. These Safe Place locations extend the doors of the youth service agency or shelter throughout the community, making it easier for youth to get immediate help in their own neighborhoods. Any youth texting the word ‘SAFE’ to 69866 will receive a response that includes the option to reply with “2chat” for more help, which will then link them to the interactive texting center to chat with a trained mental health professional. There are 102 safe place sites throughout the county. www.nationalsafeplace.org

Home sweet Home! Or maybe not… Does this look like suitable housing for anyone? We had a youth living in one of these. Not knowing whether he would end up in jail or worse, this was his home for a period of time that he would definitely want to forget. Here is a little of his success.

Eureka!!!! The sweet smell of success!! The following is a true story of success that we at Sea Haven see as the fruits of our labor. We had a youth in the program that progressed from living in a portable toilet to an efficiency apartment. The challenges this youth faced were immense, the struggles real, and the burdens compounding. Using a staff of truly care-minded individuals we were able to get this youth a job, set up a bank account, and then move him from New Direction’s Street Reach facility to a place of his own. The pride we see in this young man made the efforts worth all the stress and headache that it took to get him situated and safe. There is a way out, there is a way forward, and there is light at the end of that long dark tunnel. An autistic youth was homeless for four years before coming to Sea Haven for assistance. He now has his own apartment. Even though he works full-time, he still finds time to enjoy his hobby of photography, a hobby he hopes to one day turn into a career.

2016 In Review 112 HOMELESS YOUTH were helped to find employment, enroll in GED programs or College, and/or assisted with finding housing. 131 NEW HOMELESS YOUTH accessed emergency services such as food, clothing, showers, laundry facilities, and referrals to community resources. 102 Local Businesses, Fire Stations, and Libraries participated in the Safe Place Program. 19 HOMELESS YOUTH moved from the streets or shelters into their own apartments 7 STRANDED YOUTH received bus tickets home to states around the country.

What we need the most…… HOST A FUND RAISER!!! TELL A FRIEND AND/OR FAMILY MEMBER ABOUT US! Help us spread the word about what we do! You might just save someone’s life. We accept donations of just about any kind. The biggest need right now is emergency funds for immediate hotel stays, bus tickets, I.D. cards, birth certificates, and monies to be used for furnishing a new place to live. We are limited on the amount of funds we can allocate to these emergency stays, but we are trying to develop some strategies and partnerships with local hotels. HOST A FUND RAISER!!!

Questions?

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