On Thanksgiving Eve, Congresswoman Kaptur teamed up with officials from the local faith-based community, mental health services providers, and the juvenile justice system to announce a pair of federal awards to deal with the effects of homelessness among young people in the Toledo area.

Congresswoman Kaptur and the Rev. Steve Anthony, executive director of Toledo Area Ministries, announced a $450,000 award for a drop-in center for runaways and homeless youth as well as a $300,000 award for street outreach, including a van that will offer food and safety kits to youth living on the streets.  

“These awards, particularly coming at Thanksgiving, make an important statement about who we are as a community,” said Congresswoman Kaptur. “We care about every single young person who is a part of our Lucas County community. They deserve a home and they deserve a place to feel wanted and needed.” 

Congresswoman Kaptur said many of the young people who are processed in the juvenile justice system suffer from mental illness. “We simply have to do a better job in this community of dealing with juvenile mental illness,” she said.  

“We want to get to these young people early, before they are trafficked, and rescue them from surviving couch to couch,” said Rev. Anthony, whose organization administers “Second Chance,” which provides comprehensive services to victims of domestic sex trafficking.