Youth Leadership Training in St. Louis

This fall The SPOT celebrated its 5^th Birthday! We had a really fun birthday party with our friends and neighbors. We recognized staff for their commitment and efforts to keep our programs strong by offering services that youth need and want. We have seen some youth make great progress in reaching their goals (more stability in their lives, finding jobs, finishing school, getting an apartment, etc) and also recognized them. We welcomed back youth from our early days that have since aged out of our services but who keep in touch and are doing well. It was a fun afternoon for all of us to enjoy our successes, think about future goals, and remember why we do what we do and keep coming back for more.

                Our drop-in center remains the core in linking our services. When someone comes to drop-in they may be accompanying a friend and not realize that there is something for them at The SPOT. Or they may think they simply need a place to hang out and relax for an hour and grab a snack. The casual feel of the drop-in encourages youth to use the space as they need to and also engage with staff in low-pressure interactions. Small talk during a card game with other youth and staff may reveal, for example, that there is a misunderstanding about how STDs are transmitted. An opportunity arises for staff to immediately correct any confusion and provide accurate information. The comfortable atmosphere may also provide a chance for a youth to tell a staff member that they are struggling with school attendance because they cannot get there, or that they want to quit smoking, or any number of other issues. Our multidisciplinary staff can introduce youth to appropriate providers that day and start to address their challenges. In the third quarter of this year, 350 new youth visited The SPOT. There were a total of 1,884 encounters between July – September, 2013.

                Thank you for supporting our youth!