Y2Y Project: A Student-Run Overnight Shelter By Harvard Alumni For Homeless Youth

Harvard alumni, Sam Greenberg and Sarah Rosenkrantz and other Harvard students came across homeless children that are bunching the doorways or slouching in the Harvard square's central "pit." This motivated them to establish the Y2Y Harvard Square, which is a student-run nighttime shelter for the homeless youths. It is located in the basement of a Unitarian Universalist Church and was opened last December.

Harvard Square's youth homeless shelter, Y2Y is making strides every day. Run mainly by Harvard students, the... https://t.co/9DpOlOgklx

— FridayNightSupper (@fnsp) March 24, 2016

The Mission

According to Y2Y Harvard Square, The goal of Y2Y is to provide a safe and conducive environment for homeless young adults. "Our goal is to meet people where they are and support them in their goals," said Rosenkrantz.

"Some people want jobs or to go back to school or find housing, and we have case managers working to connect them with services," he continued. "Others just need to rest and recuperate from the trauma of living in the street."

Following The Footsteps

The founders of Y2Y are inspired at the service provider called HSHS or the Harvard Square Homelessness Shelter. It is considered the most well-respected service provider in Boston. It postulates high-quality services that include food, shelter, and clothing and can accommodate 24 to 29 guests each night.

According to Huffington Post, the founders were involved at HSHS. They sensed that there was a growing need to house the homeless youth that led to the creation of Y2Y.

The Rules

Y2Y offers 22 beds at the moment. The youths can stay for 30 days. Rosenkrantz said that they want to serve as many people and would do as much as possible for those youths staying with them.

The requirement of Y2Y includes youths with ages between 18 to 24. They must not take alcohol or drugs inside the premises of Y2Y. On the other hand, those who have the history of criminal records, drug or alcohol can still access the shelter.