At the December 2018 groundbreaking of JASMYN’s new day center, Executive Director Cindy Watson said she wanted the renovated building to be a safe “place to land” for Jacksonville’s homeless youth.
The safe place is now open.
The day center is in a 100-year-old donated building that has undergone a $1 million renovation. An open house will take place Sunday.
The number of homeless youth in Jacksonville grew 145 percent between the 2017 and 2018 annual Point in Time homeless counts conducted by Changing Homelessness Inc., the lead agency in the local effort to end homelessness. JASMYN helped 135 homeless youth in 2019 and Watson said she expects the number to increase this year.
“For several years we’ve seen a steady increase in the number of homeless youth we’ve served — both LGBTQ and straight young people,” Watson said. “We made it a strategic priority to address the needs of these young people, and opening J3 is really the fulfillment of a long-planned effort.”
The day center, called JASMYN Connex, provides computers and phone services; “grab-and-go” food and hygiene items; shower suites with laundry facilities; and private counseling space. Staff also will coordinate with 15 community partners, including the Sulzbacher center for the homeless and the Youth Crisis Center, to find temporary, transitional and permanent housing, as well as access to health care and other basic needs, for homeless youth.
“Breaking the cycle of homelessness starts with someone who cares, and we make every effort to open our arms and make them feel welcome when they come to JASMYN,” Watson said. “The idea is to make them feel comfortable and to assist them in a warm and caring way at a very vulnerable time for them.
“We take a holistic approach and offer wrap-around services made possible by our many collaborative relationships with other providers,” she said.
The building was donated by JASMYN supporters Paul Schilling and James Dutton of Vilano Beach, who also purchased and donated JASMYN’s second building six years ago. JASMYN House 2 opened in 2015.
Major funding for the day center renovation, which includes wall art created by JASMYN youth, was provided by the Chartrand Family Fund.
Founded in 1994, JASMYN has served about 65,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth through health services, housing support, job and school-group opportunities and community engagement. Young people “learn leadership skills, risk reduction and advocacy for themselves and their community,” according to JASMYN.
The nonprofit also provides HIV testing, counseling, clinical care and case management.
Beth Reese Cravey: (904) 359-4109