Eric Garcia to assist Dayton's homeless youth through AmeriCorps program

2014 Sep 25

Eric Garcia of Brunswick, OH, is part of a group of University of Dayton students serving as AmeriCorps members to help improve the lives of Dayton youth experiencing homelessness.

The AmeriCorps program for Youth Economic Self-Sufficiency (YESS) will connect students to three area homeless programs: Daybreak, Homefull and St. Vincent de Paul men's and women's homeless shelters.

Within these programs, Eric and other AmeriCorps participants from the University of Dayton and Daybreak will assist with tutoring and GED completion, guidance in applying for and enrolling in college, skills related to employability and job retention, personal finance and self-care that supports health, wellness and positive social outcomes.

Greater Dayton and Montgomery County have a significant population of vulnerable youth, ages 16-24, who are in transitional living situations, are unemployed or underemployed, undereducated, and have limited opportunities to engage in activities that promote long term self-sufficiency.

"At the University of Dayton, we want to educate students to pursue justice and the common good and to put community priorities first," said Kelly Bohrer, University of Dayton director of community-engaged learning. "YESS is a community-engaged learning project in which we demonstrate the values of community and reciprocity."

The AmeriCorps grant is made through ServeOhio, the Ohio Commission on Service and Voluntarism. The University of Dayton, through the College of Arts and Sciences, will provide $57,042 in direct and in-kind support. The Fitz Center for Leadership in Community will direct the federal grant with support from the University of Dayton Research Institute and three teams of staff and faculty leaders and professionals from the partner organizations.