For some, summer might mean an annual vacation with their family. For teachers, it means school is out – break time! For some kids, maybe it means summer camps, swimming pools and popsicles. Or maybe it means refreshing recipes, like the one we’ve included below for you to enjoy this summer. What summer means to you, might mean the exact opposite for someone else.
For the youth in Equinox’s Transitional Living Program, summer means that there are less months until they are going to have to be entirely independent again. TLP is an 18-month long program, so every summer that passes is a summer closer to the end of this program for them. While they hang out with friends and some even get to go on small vacations, they spend most of the summer working and utilizing their case managers to obtain as much knowledge as possible to establish independent permanency.
Summer for our youth at Equinox’s Youth Outreach Center means a time for reflection and growth which encompasses both painful and joyful experiences. They’ll dream and write goals, hopefully find jobs, and make enough money to get by. And they’ll go to YOC – a place where Summer means positivity. A place where they’ll get dinner, which since school is out, might mean their only meal of the day.
You can help us ensure safety, hope and positivity for our youth – and those that need Equinox’s support, especially in the summer months – by donating today. We wish we could tell you about what summer means for each of our youth individually, but hopefully this helps you understand what summer means to Equinox. While you’re experiencing summer and evaluating what summer means to you, we hope you will consider helping us continue to improve summers for youth in this community that turn to Equinox for support and resources. You can donate online at this [LINK] or use the enclosed envelope.