What is Street Outreach?

Gateway Community Services, Street Outreach Program takes us to the streets of Ingham, Eaton, and Clinton counties to seek out homeless teens that may not be ready to ask for the help they need.  Thanks to a 3-year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Gateway now has the ability to expand its current services by going to the youth in their spaces to target those we miss due to hurdles that keep them from coming into ours.  The outreach staff and volunteers head out Mondays through Fridays from 4pm to 8pm, providing street teens with basic, essential survival necessities like food, blankets, extra clothes, and hygiene products, as well as information about our services and other resources available to them in the community.  This program enables Gateway to provide counseling, crisis intervention, and emergency housing to all youth ages 12 to 21. 

What is SafeZone?

One goal of our new Street Outreach program, an extension of Higher Ground and Crossroads, is to build meaningful, sustainable partnerships with various businesses, churches, organizations, police departments, clinics, etc. to establish a network of SafeZones.  Members of this network will be identifiable to youth by displaying our decal in plain sight on a window or door. Upon seeing the decal, youth will know this is a place where they can find information on our services and receive help and emergency services if in need. Youth will be allowed to remain at the SafeZone location while personnel contact our crisis counselors and make arrangements to meet with the youth, discuss alternatives, and provide transportation to another safe location.