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History
YMCA Safe Place Services is a unique service branch of the YMCA of Greater Louisville. Because of the prevalence of runaways and “throw away” teens in the seventies and their vulnerability to extreme risk factors the federal government created Runaway and Homeless Youth funding to support shelters across the United States that were able to provide help to these young people. In 1974 with the help of The National Council of Jewish Women, the Junior League of Louisville and our own YMCA of Greater Louisville Shelter House was created to meet the immediate needs of teens who were living on the street; to this day, it is the only shelter specifically for this age group in Louisville and the only place in town where any youth can self refer for our services absolutely free of charge.
As one of the first youth shelters in the country, it was illegal to harbor a runaway at our inception. We have not only redefined how our community deals with runaways and homeless youth, but have also developed the Safe Place Program– a community outreach concept that has been replicated by youth shelters in 700+ communities across the country.
In 1996, in hopes of having an extended impact on teens we developed what today is called the
Y-NOW Mentoring Services Program. Since its inception this program has successfully matched adults with teens and created a community of adults and peers to support them in their goals and decrease violence, truancy, court involvement and increase grade performance, family relationships and communication skills. Currently this program is working with Children of Prisoners who are 11 – 15 years old.
We realized many of the teens who came to Shelter House didn’t know about Safe Place. In 2004 to reach more young people who were not in school or who might not know about our services we obtained a Street Outreach federal grant that puts a case manager and youth workers on the street educating teens about the services provided at YMCA Safe Place Services.
Our Caring Staff
Meet the Senior Staff
Steering Team
Matt Reed, MS
Executive Director
mreed@ymcalouisville.org
Rita Murphy
Outreach Director
rmurphy@ymcalouisville.org
Alicia Nunez
Executive Assistant and Food Service Manager
aanunez@ymcalouisville.org
Natalie Reteneller
Grants Manager
nreteneller@ymcalouisville.org
Rebecca Hentz
Director of Mentoring Services
rhentz@ymcalouisville.org
Tricia Hamilton
Residential Services Director
thamilton@ymcalouisville.org
Jena Walker
Development Coordinator
jawalker@ymcalouisville.org
| Board of Directors | |
| George Bell Office Resources, Inc. |
Laura A. Rice Helman & Rice Attorneys |
| Suzanne Bergmeister Sunflower Business Ventures, Inc. |
Theodore S. Rosky Civic Volunteer - Retired |
| Sherman A. Brown Kentucky Democratic Party |
Keri Shain Kosair Children’s Hospital - Norton Healthcare |
| Judge Joan L. Byer Jefferson County Family Court Judge |
Matthew J. Smith Soteria Imaging Services LLC |
| C. Stephen Driggs Irwin Union Bank, FSB |
Charles H. Wardrip Kindred Healthcare, Inc |
| Mike Guinan White Castle Louisville |
Louis I. Waterman Louis I. Waterman, PLLC |
| Charles Hagerty New Age Technologies, Inc. |
Jim White Contagious Advertising |
| James J. Hunt Lou/Jeff County Metropolitan Sewer District |
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| Terry Hyland Hyland Insurance |
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| Geoffrey S. Luber Soteria Imaging Services LLC |
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Building
Our 2400 Crittenden Drive facility houses:
- 27,000 sq foot facility that houses all three program areas
- Fully assessable
- a comfortable dorm-like residential program
- capacity for 24 teens (12 male, 12 female) ages 12-17
- confidential mediation and intake areas
- activity and multipurpose rooms
- fully equipped commercial kitchen
- recreation and fitness gym with climbing wall for teen participants
- administrative offices
