The People We Help
Too many young people are reaching adulthood unprepared, with little hope and capacity for long-term success.
A Need for Good Shepherd Services
Young people growing up in high-poverty New York City communities confront tough odds in their journey to independence. They most likely attend overcrowded public schools where far more students fail than pass. Many lack strong family supports and may have experienced abuse, and emotional or physical neglect. They live in neighborhoods stressed by poverty, substance abuse, violence, and criminal behavior.
As they grow older, many become caught in a spiral of failure that becomes impossible to escape. Unemployed or stuck in low wage jobs, they are more likely to be incarcerated or be victims of crimes, and less likely to be stable providers for their own kids.
Good Shepherd works to break this cycle of negative outcomes, helping vulnerable young people and their families make a safe passage to self sufficiency. Without our strong response, the cycle of negative outcomes continues, perpetuating costs that ultimately we all must bear.
Numbers and Statistics
- In New York City, one in six - or 170,000 - young people ages 16 through 24 are neither in school nor working
- 140,000 NYC youth ages 16-21 have dropped out or are significantly off-track relative to expectations for high school graduation
- 230 children are reported abused or neglected every day in New York City
- Twelve to 18 months after leaving the system, only about 38% of youth aging out of foster care are employed, and fewer than half have ever held a full-time job.
