Opportunities From: Connect2Community

Our House is building a unique, integrated model to support youth typically lacking the experience of growing up with significant adults in their lives. Through individual and group mentoring, life skills training, camp retreats, employment training, and supportive housing options, Our House builds upon each component to help assure successful outcomes as youth transition to adulthood.

Our Mentors are instrumental in fulfilling Our House’s goal of propelling youth to reach their full potential and equipping them with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to function independently and contribute to society. They must possess a sincere desire to be personally involved with another person to help him or her achieve personal and career goals. Mentors will develop supportive relationships with foster care youth participating in the Our House programs and aid them through emotional support and social and recreational development. The Mentor provides caring companionship to supplement the work of parents, teachers, counselors, social workers and other social services and education professionals. 

Each Mentor will be provided with initial training before working with youth and ongoing support throughout the program. The average Mentor will put in approximately 6 to 12 hours each month in services to our youth. This commitment may come in larger or smaller doses, but the Mentor must be consistent. While Mentors may serve longer than one year, the minimum expectation of any Mentor will be one year.

Have a spare bedroom and looking to make a positive impact on your community? YOU can address youth homelessness in Washtenaw County by opening your heart and home to a young person experiencing housing instability!

Host Homes is a short-term housing support program that matches volunteer hosts in the community with a young adult (18-25 years old) who has experienced foster care. Our House participants will reside with their host family for up to six months rent free while they work on their self-identified goals, saving money, and learning independent living skills.

Host families will receive trauma-informed care training and on-going support from Our House staff. Hosts will provide basic household necessities (i.e. toilet paper, soap) and have the option of receiving a monthly stipend. The young person you are hosting will continue to work with their mentor and Our House staff to develop a case plan so they can successfully transition from your home into independent living.

Host Homes at their core are about connecting people with people and facilitating a neighbor-to-neighbor interim solution to youth homelessness. Host Homes put the "village" in "it takes a village". This community-driven, youth-centered program will play a critical role in addressing the youth homelessness for Our House participants by mobilizing community resources and caring adults to demonstrate to our youth that their community cares about them!