Eagle Project to Help Homeless Youth

Hi, my name is Carlos Diaz. I am a Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 14, here in Albany, California and I am starting my Eagle Service Project. I will be building around 30 lockers for a homeless youth shelter in Berkeley. The shelter organization I want to help is called Youth Engagement, Advocacy and Housing (YEAH!), and needs lockers for the youth to secure what little they have. The lockers will give the clients a safe place to can call their own, and to keep their stuff. Most of the youth at the shelter have been in the foster care system. Like them I was in the system, but I was adopted. I've realized that I was lucky to have another home with a loving family, and I want to help people that weren't as lucky as me. 

Berkeley's homeless population is estimated to be 1,200. About 225 of whom are youth aged 18 to 25. And that's why I want to help the homeless youth at YEAH! Their mission is to support young adults (18-25) in Berkeley who are currently homeless. YEAH! assists homeless young people in many ways:

"¢ They create a community of friendship and mutual support by providing basic necessities, case management and counseling, and linkages to education, employment and housing.

"¢ They offer opportunities for meaningful community involvement, and provide relief from the stress of living on the street.

"¢ They also encourage their youth to identify personal goals and to explore alternatives to street life.