Sanctuary of Hope

Sanctuary of Hope (SOH) eliminates intergenerational poverty by promoting the value of higher education and housing stabilization. We serve Transition Age Youth (TAY), ages 16-25, who are foster care, homeless, or at-risk. We provide life coaching, mentoring, independent living, college access and retention, emergency services, and financial assistance with the sole purpose of helping our youth and young adults to become self-sufficient.

The youth and young adults we serve are unique:

• 100% hundred percent of SOH’s TAY are from very low-income households
• Most have histories of trauma, abuse, and neglect
• 95% are the first in their family to attend college
• 98% are youth of color
• 87% percent are system youth (foster care or combination of foster care and probation)

SOH stands in the gap for needed resources in South Los Angeles.  The area has the second highest concentration of homeless youth and youth aging out of foster care; 23% of Los Angeles County’s homeless youth and young adult populations is here; 65% of the region is designated as high concentration poverty neighborhoods; and unemployment rates remain in double-digits as high as 45% for youth and young adults.

Without SOH, South LA's youth and young adults would not have a safe place to go for housing, educational support, or wraparound services -leaving them vulnerable to homelessness, gangs, unplanned pregnancies, substance abuse, violence, sexual exploitation, or death.

SOH is simply HOME - an environment with caring adults that young adults can trust and array of services to help them reach their full potential.