My Friend’s Place
My Friend’s Place (MFP) assists and inspires homeless youth to lead self-sufficient lives. Many of these young people are escaping abusive homes, emancipated at age 18 from foster care with insufficient skills and resources, or raised on the street as victims of the cycle of homelessness. Once on the streets, they are often forced into high-risk behaviors to survive, compromising their health, well being and future. They suffer psychological scars from years of abuse and neglect and have little or no family structure or emotional support for the stresses of adolescence. MFP, collaborating with leading social service providers and hundreds of volunteers, offers free, comprehensive care through three programs: the Safe Haven Program, the Transformative Education Program and the Health & Well Being Program. The most frequently visited drop-in Resource Center for homeless youth in Southern California, offering services seven days a week, MFP annually serves more than 1,000 young people ages 12 and over and their children.