Soar Campaign
A Campaign to Help Our Youth Spread Their Wings
The young people Youth In Need serves come from every neighborhood, every school district and every walk of life. They are not someone else’s children.
They are all our kids.
They may be a student struggling with anxiety, a teenager facing homelessness, a young adult aging out of foster care or a child in need of a safe place to learn and grow. They could be the child of a coworker, a neighbor, a community leader or a member of your own family.
For more than 50 years, Youth In Need has been there when children, youth and families face life’s most difficult challenges. Each year, more than 9,000 individuals across eastern Missouri turn to Youth In Need for prevention services, mental health counseling, crisis intervention, housing support and other critical resources that help them find safety, hope and success.
Today, we are taking the next bold step forward.
The Soar Campaign is a $6.5 million investment in the future of our region’s young people, expanding access to life-changing services while creating a stronger foundation for generations to come.
Together, we can help youth soar.
Expanding Access in North St. Louis County
At the heart of the Soar Campaign is Youth In Need’s new North County service hub located at 11815 Benham Road in Spanish Lake.
This renovated 8,000-square-foot facility will become a welcoming center where children, youth and families can access critical support close to home. Located in one of the most underserved areas of St. Louis County, the facility is designed to reduce barriers to care and connect young people with the resources they need to thrive.
The center will serve as a hub for:
Mental Health Counseling
Youth In Need will provide community-based and school-based counseling services using evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches. By bringing services directly into the community, families will have greater access to quality mental health support without the challenges of long waitlists, transportation barriers or high costs.
Support for Runaway, Homeless and At-Risk Youth
The agency’s Street Outreach Program will operate from the facility, offering immediate support and essential resources for youth experiencing crisis situations. Young people will have access to basic necessities such as food, hygiene products, clothing, laundry facilities, technology and connections to housing, education and employment opportunities.
Safe Place Services
The facility will serve as the headquarters for Safe Place, the national crisis prevention program that connects youth in need with immediate help through a network of community partners across the region.
Community Partnerships and Resources
Dedicated community space will allow nonprofit organizations, employers, legal service providers, financial counselors and other partners to offer programs and services directly to youth and families. The facility will become a place where community members can gather, connect and access support in one convenient location.
Impact
Our goal is to serve 1,000 additional children, youth and families every year through counseling, outreach services, Safe Place programming and community engagement opportunities.
Investment Opportunity: $3,900,000
Creating Stronger Connections for Young Adults
For many young people transitioning to adulthood, the path to independence can be overwhelming.
Finding housing, securing employment, accessing healthcare, managing finances and building support systems are difficult challenges for anyone. For youth who have experienced homelessness, foster care involvement, trauma or family instability, those challenges can feel impossible.
That is why the Soar Campaign includes funding for dedicated staff as part of a Pathways to Independence pilot program.
This team will build and strengthen relationships with businesses, nonprofits and service providers throughout the region to create a comprehensive network of support for young adults working toward independence.
These partnerships will expand access to:
- Housing and landlord connections
- Employment opportunities and job training
- Financial literacy education
- Behavioral health and medical services
- Transportation assistance
- Legal services
- Childcare support
- Other critical resources that help young adults succeed
Working alongside Youth In Need clients and their case managers, the partnership team will help youth navigate available resources and identify solutions tailored to their individual goals and circumstances.
Over five years, this pilot program will create a scalable model for coordinated community support while improving outcomes for young adults throughout the region.
Together, we can create clearer pathways to lasting independence.
Investment Opportunity: $600,000
Investing in Facilities Across the Region
Youth In Need’s impact stretches across six counties and dozens of communities throughout eastern Missouri.
To continue delivering high-quality services, the organization must also invest in the spaces where children, youth and families learn, heal and grow.
The Soar Campaign will fund critical improvements across Youth In Need facilities, including counseling offices, residential programs, early learning centers and community spaces.
These upgrades will include:
- Safety and security enhancements
- Residential space improvements for youth housing programs
- Technology and training resources for staff
- Improvements to community gathering spaces
- Modernization of early learning environments
- Enhanced educational and STEM-focused learning opportunities
These investments will strengthen programs across the agency while ensuring facilities remain welcoming, safe and effective for everyone who relies on them.
Together, we can strengthen the foundation that supports thousands of young people every year.
Investment Opportunity: $1,000,000
Building a Legacy Through Endowment
As Youth In Need looks beyond its first 50 years, the organization is planning for the future.
The SOAR Campaign includes a significant investment in Youth In Need’s endowment, creating long-term financial stability and ensuring that children, youth and families continue to receive support for generations to come.
Endowment gifts are invested strategically, with earnings used to advance the mission. This provides a sustainable source of funding that helps the agency:
- Maintain critical services through economic fluctuations
- Respond to changing community needs
- Strengthen organizational stability
- Attract and retain exceptional staff
- Support future innovation and growth
A special component of this portion of the Soar Campaign is the establishment of seed funding for a long-term, growing scholarship fund for families enrolled in our early learning program. This fund will help bridge the gap for families who do not qualify for our no-cost Head Start program but who also cannot afford the full cost of tuition. By creating this scholarship fund, Youth In Need can expand access to high-quality early childhood education and help more children get the strong start they deserve.
Every gift to the endowment extends its impact far beyond today, helping Youth In Need remain a trusted resource for future generations while creating new opportunities for children and families to thrive.
Investment Opportunity: $1,000,000
Be Part of Their Future
The Soar Campaign is more than a building project.
It is a commitment to creating opportunity, strengthening communities and ensuring every young person has the support they need to thrive.
Through investments in a new community hub, pathways to independence, facility improvements and long-term sustainability, the Soar Campaign will expand Youth In Need’s impact for decades to come.
Campaign Goal: $6.5 Million
- $3,900,000 for the Spanish Lake Community Hub
- $600,000 for a Pathways to Independence pilot program
- $1,000,000 for Agency-Wide Improvements
- $1,000,000 for Endowment Growth
Together, these investments will expand access to counseling, strengthen support for youth experiencing homelessness, enhance facilities across the region and create lasting opportunities for children, youth and families.
Help our youth spread their wings. Join the Soar Campaign today.
