Center for homeless youth purchases its own space

The Connection Youth Services has a new home in downtown in Howell. The program helps homeless and run-away youth. After years of fundraising they were able to buy a historic building that now serves as a drop-in center, and a home-base for its transitional-living program.

Lona Lanning is 19 years old. She’s working on meeting the requirements to get into the transitional-living program. Those requirements include volunteering 30 hours a week at The Connection and taking a life-skills class and working with counselors.

Lanning says, “Hopefully in a year from now I will be coming out of the program and have my own house set up and my kids and I will be happy and healthy.”

Without The Connection Lanning says she would be living on the streets with her year-and-a-half old daughter.

500 young people used The Connection’s services last year. And the center’s crisis phone line answered 600 calls.