HONOR, the nonprofit organization and social service leader in housing and homeless services in the Hudson Valley, recognized National Youth HOPE Month with festivities to bring awareness to the issue of youth runaway and homelessness.

November is Youth Homelessness, Outreach, Prevention, and Education (HOPE) Month, a public awareness campaign led by the National Runaway Safeline to shine a light on the challenges faced by runaway and homeless youth. HONOR is proud to unite with hundreds of organizations nationwide to share information, spotlight resources, and show young people in crisis that they are not alone.

HONOR manages Orange County’s ONLY runaway and homeless youth shelter. The shelter is named “A Friend’s House” and provides a safe place for runaway and homeless children ages 17 and younger. A Friend’s House is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and provides critical services such as emergency shelter, counseling, and after-care support to youth experiencing homelessness.

“Area youth come to us oftentimes in the middle of the night,” said HONOR Exexcutive Director Chris Molinelli. “While working to meet each child’s immediate needs, we connect resources available to young people in crisis, show care while working to prevent a crisis from escalating or mitigate its impact. We also work to reunite young people with families or locate appropriate alternative locations,” he added.

HONOR hopes to educate Orange County residents about their resources, as well as amplify the challenges vulnerable youth face each day, while providing youth at A Friends House with support and hope.

Here are some ways the public can help:

If a young person you know is thinking about leaving home or has threatened to do so, talk with them about the issues and their options. Frequently, youth contemplating leaving their homes overlook essential considerations, such as securing accommodations, ensuring access to fundamental necessities like sustenance, clothing, and transportation, maintaining their educational commitments, and assessing potential risks.

If your child or a young person you know has run away, contact your local police department.

There are organizations for additional support and guidance, such as the National Runaway Safeline or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

To learn more about A Friend’s House, or how you can donate to support kids who come to our youth shelter, please visit HonorHelpingOthers.org.

HONOR is a nonprofit organization and social service leader providing housing and homeless services for children, individuals, and families in Hudson Valley. For nearly 50 years, HONOR (an acronym for Helping Others Needing Our Resources) has been supporting those who are experiencing homelessness, connecting people to crisis services, housing, youth services and individual support services. Operating twenty-four programs throughout Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Dutchess Counties HONOR is goaled to lasting self-sufficiency and independence. To learn more or to donate, please visit HonorHelpingOthers.org or call 845-343-7115.