Commendable program

Ashley Fehrmann, Chief Development Officer for Social Advocates for Youth (SAY) related astonishing details of the Code Blue Shelter for youth, a program co-sponsored by the City and County, that has been expanded to operate from December 1 through March 31, this winter.  A basement facility donated by the Press Democrat provides space for the operation, which serves youth ages 14 to 24, from 7 p.m. through the following morning. 

The program, which offers a hot meal in the evening and the morning after, as well as bedding for the night, has identified and served 50 unduplicated youth in 2016-17, subsequently referring each to longer term support systems.  Thirteen have been been transferred to housing at SAY, 4 to the Coffee Shelter, 7 to Tamayo Village and 3 have been reunited with their families.

Sunriser Steve Zwick presented Ashley with a $1,000 check to support the Code Blue Shelter as well as well as a program to connect with victims of human trafficking and refer them to healing resources.