Pivot, A Turning Point For Youth

Paula was 17 and had resorted to sleeping under a bridge. James was 17 and sleeping on a bench. Both were high school students, living on their own without parental or family support – alone, afraid and at-risk.

For more than 45 years, Pivot, A Turning Point for Youth, has worked with youth lacking stability in their lives. They are sometimes homeless, couch homeless or disengaged.

Pivotal Impact – Independent Living addresses the lack of safe, transitional living space for teens and young adults who are living on their own without parental supervision, have aged out of Oklahoma’s foster care system, or experienced involvement with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems.

Pivot will build three tiny homes, each with a bed, small kitchen and bathroom, on our campus as transitional homes until youth are ready to move to an independent residence. These homes are the first step in building a community of homes for youth, primarily ages 16 to 19, that have no place to live. Pivot’s goal is to temporarily house up to 15 youth year one, providing immediate, direct and personalized wrap-around services and healthy connections, 24-hours a day, while they are going to school and/or working.

This is the beginning of what Pivot believes is a viable solution to housing youth in need of a place to live in our community.

A grant award from Impact Oklahoma would provide the much-needed seed funding to ensure this project takes flight – moving youth from fear to hope, alone to connected, and from risk to opportunity.