Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets

At Peace for the Streets by Kids from the Streets (PSKS) we believe that homeless youth and young adults know best what they need, all homeless youth have gifts and talents, and entrusting power to youth restores their dignity and can have a transformative effect on their lives. We call our youth and young adults “participants” because they are active, engaged members of our organization.

The mission of PSKS is to support homeless and at-risk youth and young adults to empower themselves and lead positive and self-sufficient lives. This core belief in empowerment defines us, and is our greatest strength. It drives our bottom-up model and everything we do. From leading the initial advocacy efforts that established PSKS in 1995, to developing the program and policies used to run our 20-bed shelter in 2015, our participants take ownership and leadership roles at all levels of the organization.

PSKS offers short term and long term opportunities for youth in their path forward. Our frontline services are designed to get youth off the streets and meet their immediate basic needs. For the long-term, PSKS prioritizes growth opportunities such as: education, employment support, life skills classes, involvement in advocacy, and participation in Core, our participant led governing body. Together our programs offer wraparound support to meet survival needs while also building each participant’s knowledge, skills and abilities, to enable them to become self-sufficient and reach their full potential.