A SAFE HAVEN
NEPA Youth Shelter seeks to help all teens reach their potential
It was the answer to a
geographical question, now
it is providing a haven to
disadvantaged teens and young
adults in our region and beyond.
The NEPA Youth Shelter opened its
doors at 541 Wyoming Avenue in
downtown Scranton this past October,
the culmination of three years of hard
work and determination. The shelter’s
journey to fruition began while executive
director Maureen Maher Gray was
working for Equality Pennsylvania and
discovered a problem in need of solving.
“During my time with Equality
Pennsylvania, I met many LGBTQ high
school students who told me that they
would never disclose their sexuality
to their parents because they were
certain they would be kicked out of their
homes with no place to go,” she said. “I
heard the same statements in Scranton,
Wilkes-Barre, Reading, Honesdale,
Towanda and East Stroudsburg. I looked
into the situation and found that the
closest shelter for any teen in crisis was
in Allentown. How does a teen get from
here to any of those places?”
The NEPA Youth Shelter provides
services for any teen, but especially
for those experiencing housing
insecurities. Services include a
hot meal every night, counseling,
support groups, art and yoga classes,
computers and printers for homework,
a free clothing exchange, laundry
services and a nap room. The shelter
is also in the process of upgrading its
bathroom to include a shower.
Ms. Gray hopes that the shelter helps
clarify preconceived notions about at-
risk youth.
“The assumption is that the youth we
serve are poorly educated and criminals
in the making,” she said. “I can tell you
that some of these kids are incredibly
bright. They have hopes of attending
college and having professional
careers. We are working with local non-
profit organizatio ns to help them reach
their fullest potential.”
The shelter currently serves 40
individual teens, with plans to expand to
up to 100 in 2018. Adult volunteers are
always needed in a variety of capacities,
including serving as a supportive mentor
for the teens.
“The teens we have served so far have
been somewhat overwhelmed by what
we offer for them,” Ms. Gray said. “We
have kids cry when they are able to
pick out a new coat for winter or a new
pair of uniform pants. We have had
kids take hours-long naps because they
are exhausted.”
Through her research, Ms. Gray
discovered that there was a growing
number of teens in our region who were
either couch surfing, living in hobo camps
or cars or other abandoned spaces.
“One of the teens sent in a card a few
weeks ago,” she continued. “The card
said, ‘This place means a lot to us and
we are glad to be welcomed here.’ To
me, this statement says that we are
fulfilling our mission.”
For more information, visit www.nepayouthshelter.org.
www.scrantonchamber.com • 7