Hi, I'm Cathy Combs and I want to let you know of a desperate need regarding the children of Hampton Roads. The mission of Seton Youth Services(SYS) is to provide a safe haven, counseling and outreach services, 24 hours a day, without charge, to assist youth in crisis throughout Hampton Roads, with the goal of reuniting families. In the past year, SYS has served 6,239 children. The Shelter Program operates two gender-specific shelters, serving runaways, homeless youth, and youth at risk for homelessness or foster care, ages 9-18. Each child is assessed and counseled upon intake; they are assigned a case manager, they are given individual and family counseling; there is on-site tutoring, home school care, and there is an advocate to act as a school liason. The Mentoring Children of Prisoners Program targets children who have had, past or present, a family member who was incarcerated. This program provides a mentor for each child, who gives consistent individualized attention to their mentee. Their time together may include participating in recreational, educational or cultural activites. The Youth Outreach Program is an outreach program targeting at-risk youth communities and neighborhoods where your congregate, offering gateway servies, such as food, hygiene items, written educational materials, counseling, service linkages and immediate access to a safe shelter. All of these programs are free to the participants, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Needless to say, all this costs money to successfully and effectively operate; specifically more than $1.4 million dollars annually. For 31 out of 40 years Seton has competed and received federal funding to close the expense gap to pay the shelter payroll, their largest annual expense, of $530,000. The federal funding of $450,000 is now at risk. Announcement of awards has always been in June, and then distribution by October 1st. However, SYS has not received any notification of any kind. To add to the dire situaiton, SYS insurance premiums, despite having no claims filed, increased more than $50,000 this year.

More children in our community need Seton, yet rising operating costs and funding insecurity threaten their ability to keep the shelter doors open and our community's youth safe from abuse, trafficking, homelessness, and the danger of being alone on the streets. As the region's sole provider of critical services they provided, this will leave the boys and girls alone with nowhere to turn for safety and support. Please consider donating to this very worthy organization.