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WELCOME TO MSM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

HOPE'S PLACE

Each year, young adults who have spent most of their lives in the foster care system are ‘emancipated’ on their 18th birthdays. They are given a small stipend, a voucher for a few nights in a hotel and told to go live in the world. For many, a life of crime and homelessness is how they live in the world. But soon there will be hope.

Hope’s Place is a start-up development facility for emancipated youth. This complex will provide a safe and secure environment for young adults transitioning from foster care to independent, responsible living. At Hope’s Place, residents will gain understanding and learn how to cope in the real world, developing skills that will carry them through life.

To ensure a positive, effective and well-received program, MSM has employed Mwikali B. Hayes as our program director. Ms. Hayes has been working with this population for many years with various organizations and holds a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology from the University of California. Her studies have included matters on women’s consciousness, including identity, empowerment and self-esteem. Ms. Hayes’ education and experiences alone are impressive and make her a prize candidate for our program. What sets her apart from others is her own story through volunteering as a mentor for teens. Ms. Hayes is known to express her gratefulness that her knowledge, efforts and life experiences have motivated the teens with whom she has worked, making a positive impact on their lives.

There is a crisis in Los Angeles County. It is an estimated 13,000 to 16,000 homeless youth living on L.A. county streets. Of the 1,500 youth who emancipate from the foster care system in Los Angeles and Alameda Counties each year, 50% will be homeless within six months. Homeless and emancipated foster youth experience disproportionately higher rates of unemployment, incarceration, dependence on public assistance, substance abuse, non-marital childbirth, lower educational attainment and other high-risk behaviors. According to the local Emergency Shelter Strategy for Los Angeles County, there are only 150 beds, or 1% targeted for unaccompanied youth. For Alameda County, there are an estimated 71 emergency shelter beds for youth.

MSM has taken on the challenge to build a facility to deal with this crisis. A brand new 22-unit complex will be built within the coming months. To support our efforts, our sponsors and business partners will joint venture with MSM to make this happen. Hope’s Place will provide clothing, furniture, job training, education and placement while identifying the needs of the residents. We will instill a sense of self-awareness, self-esteem, and confidence to aid in a successful transition to independent living.

Contact us and find out how you can give hope to an entire generation who face homelessness without our help.