Second Story - The Abused and Homeless Children's Refuge

As Second Story recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, we are proud of the impact the organization has made throughout the community. Second Story is dedicated to providing impactful and effective services for young people and their families. We provide safe havens and opportunities for young people to grow and thrive; and are there at critical moments in a young person‘s life when the support of a caring adult can make all the difference.

At Second Story, the organization helps young people create their own stories and not be bound by their current situations. The number of youth experiencing homelessness is increasing so Second Story must step up and be there for them. We need to plan for new and better ways to help youth move beyond just surviving and on to success.

Second Story has served the community but the years of the COVID pandemic brought accelerated change. When
the nation and schools went virtual, Second Story took services to those in need providing access to the technology
to continue school remotely, dropping food and school supplies at doorsteps, and providing counseling via virtual sessions. While things are moving back to “normal,” some of the changes Second Story made to cope with the pandemic will stay and the organization will continue to innovate and provide the best possible services and outcomes for young people in our community.

Our programs and services ensure that children and young people have access to safe shelter and caring adults; that no young person leaves any of our programs for an unsafe situation; that all young people know about the positive options that are available to them; and that our community provides a nurturing environment for all children and young people to grow and thrive.

Our strategies to achieve our goals include:
Keep shelters open and staffed 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.
Hire well qualified and caring staff.
Provide nutritious meals.
Provide individual counseling
Provide family therapy.
Provide transition plans for all children and youth in residential programs.
Provide ongoing after-care to all children, youth and families in residential programs.
Provide workshops and group discussion opportunities dealing with issues affecting young people.
Provide positive development and affirmations to all children and young people.
Provide assistance with educational needs.
Provide and/or facilitate parenting classes and information.
Facilitate quality education from birth through graduate school for children and youth.
Facilitate growth of employment skills, job readiness and employment options.
Advocate for children, youth and families with local, state and federal government and organizations.
Outreach to all facets of the community advocating for children, youth and families.

By providing young people with safe places to live and gather and support services from caring well-trained staff and volunteers, we give young people the room they need to achieve their goals and become self-sufficient members of our community. These services also ensure young people are safe, form permanent connections to caring adults and grow in their ability to support themselves and make positive choices.

The vision of Second Story is of a community in which all young people are safe, live in a
nurturing environment, and have the opportunity to reach their full potential. Founded in
1972 as “Alternative House,” Second Story transforms the lives of children and youth, helping
them stay safe, make positive decisions, achieve educational success, and overcome
personal crises. We offer children, youth, and families hope for brighter futures by providing
counseling, shelter, and neighborhood-based support.

An estimated 15,000 young people run away from home per year in Northern Virginia. Many return home, but many do not. Whatever their situation we are here for all of them. For those that are minors aged 13-17, we have our Second Story for Teens in Crisis program which is a 3-week safe haven where teens can receive around-the-clock counseling and support where the goal is family reunification.

For young adults aged 18-24 that are experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, human trafficking, or other unsafe situation, we have our Second Story for Young Mothers and Second Story for Homeless Youth transitional living programs. These young adults receive rental assistance, counseling, life skills training, and case management.
Second Story also serves the community where there are higher poverty rates and increased risk of crimes like gang violence. In these neighborhoods, Second Story operates three Safe Youth Projects (after-school program for 4th-6th graders), a Teen Center (8th-12th graders), and two Family Resource Centers (provides services such as a food/clothes pantry, walk-in clinic, translation services, computer skills classes, etc).

Through all of our programs, Second Story works to step in at that critical moment when just a little bit of help could make all the difference, and provide safe havens, and opportunities to grow and thrive.

Second Story faces an average of 3% increases in personnel expenses, 5% in occupancy costs, and more than 5% in insurance costs. Meanwhile, the federal government has not increased the amount of funding available for programs like ours in 18 years. Fairfax County is under ever-tightening fiscal constraints and in the past 12 years has not increased rates by more than 2% per year.

The programs and services at Second Story help young people and families break cycles of poverty and violence. Caring and qualified staff help young people accomplish self-identified goals. Our most urgent priority is to move teenagers off the streets and into safe havens. Individual case services are also instrumental in helping our young people manage their emotions, handle crises, cope with trauma, and make positive choices.

Our Second Story for Young Mothers program and Second Story for Homeless Youth are two of our Residential programs that provide support and services to homeless young people.

In the FY22, our Second Story for Young Mothers program provided safe shelter and supports to 6 young women and 7 children. With help from our staff our young moms improved their parenting skills, became successfully employed, and reduced their debt while increasing their savings. These outcomes lead to our young women being able to successfully and safely support themselves and their children when they leave our program. This breaks cycles of poverty that is at times generational and gives hope not just to the young woman but to her children as well.

Our Second Story for Homeless Youth provides homeless, unaccompanied Fairfax County high school students with assistance in locating and paying for safe and appropriate shelter. At the program, our young people learn to budget, manage their time, maintain their health, prepare nutritious meals, and address mental health problems. Providing housing and equipping our young people with vital resources and skills helps our young people focus on their academics and complete high school. Staff encourages young people to move on to higher education, employment, or a combination. Last year we provided housing to 49 young people through host homes, rent vouchers, and group homes. 50 students received case management and counseling sessions. 100% of eligible high school seniors achieved their diplomas during the 2022 school year.

These are just two of several programs provided by Second Story. Our cost-effective programs step in at critical junctures in a young person's life and empower them to transition into successful adulthood. We have come a long way in our efforts, but there is still a way to go.