2017 has been a big year for the Chicago Youth Storage Initiative (CYSI). In addition to current storage program partners—La Casa Norte, Unity Parenting and Counseling, Puerto Rican Cultural Center, Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, and Teen Living Programs—new locker programs were launched at the following facilities:
- Broadway Youth Center
- Covenant House
- Northwest Compass, Inc.
- Pathways to Education—Ashburn Campus
Through CYSI, there is now a total of 225 lockers available for youth experiencing homelessness in Chicago. Other achievements in 2017 include:
Secure phone charging stations were installed at The Night Ministry and Center on Halsted.
Virtual storage programs were implemented at drop-in and residential programs at Teen Living Programs and La Casa Norte, providing young people with training, scanning and storage events, and ongoing education and support.
Project Manager Megan Wickman engaged in outreach and education at youth-serving organizations throughout the city of Chicago including the Chicago Public Schools’ Students in Temporary Living Situations (STLS) annual training, the University of Illinois at Chicago and Pride Action Take forum on Supporting College Students Experiencing Homelessness, and Design4Good.
Looking ahead, CYSI has committed to fund a storage hub at the new LYTE Collective, which will provide more than 200 storage units in a variety of types at a single site.
