Gateway's 2010 Winter Newsletter is now available. It contains updates on all of Gateway's programs, news and events from the past year, statistics about homeless and runaway youth, and ways that you can help Gateway.
If you would like to be added to our mailing list and receive newsletters and other updates from Gateway, please send an email to info@gatewayservices.org or call our offices at (517) 351-4000.
Gateway Community Services is a non-profit agency established in 1970 to serve families and teens in the Lansing area. We offer many services, including shelter, counseling, job and education assistance, and family reunification, among many others. Additionally, we operate a 24 hour crisis line for teens:
Teen Crisis Hotline
1-877-833-3689
You can call this number at any time and a counselor will always be available to talk. Click here for more information about our organization and the programs we operate.
Attend our Weekly Information Meeting!
Each week Gateway holds informational meetings about our programs. For many of the programs, this is the first step in the intake process. The meetings are run by our Intake Coordinator and are held every Thursday afternoon at 4:00 pm at our administrative office (directions).
At the meeting, you will be free to ask any questions you have about Gateway and our programs, and also begin the intake process if you desire. No advance sign-up is required and as always there is no fee. All you have to do is show up!
If you have any questions about the information meetings or anything else about Gateway, please feel free to call us at (517) 351-4000.
Higher Ground is a service for at-risk and runaway youth with the ultimate goal of family reunification. The Higher Ground Program strives to help youth and their families learn healthy ways to cope while working to resolve conflicts. The program's services include:
~Counseling for individuals and families ~Emergency shelter for runaway and homeless youth ~Counselor on call 24 hours for crisis intervention ~Community referrals
Higher Ground's goal is to support youth as they continue to develop the healthy coping skills needed to build a strong personal foundation. Additionally, the Higher Ground Program assists families in crisis, working toward family healing and reunification whenever possible. For more information about Higher Ground, click here.
Crossroads is a voluntary transitional living program for young people who are unable to live at home. Youth live in the Kevin J. Moody Youth Home, a 24-hour supervised group home. The goal of the program is to help youth prepare for independent and self-sufficient living. Services offered during the program include:
~Shelter ~Independent Living Skills Instruction ~Counseling & Case Management ~Employment Assistance ~Tutoring ~Health Care
After graduating from Crossroads, participants have access to a variety of services including advocacy, employment and educational assistance, case management, crisis intervention, rental assistance, and emotional support and guidance. For more information about the Crossroads program, please click here.
Violence Intervention & Prevention Project is a program to promote peaceful, thoughtful, and non-aggressive means by which young people can learn to channel and communicate anger and frustration. The Violence Intervention and Prevention Project (VIPP) uses many different methods to achieve these goals, including:
~Aggression Replacement Training ~Skillstreaming ~Anger-Control Training ~Moral Reasoning Training ~Art Therapy
For more information about these techniques and about the VIPP as a whole, please click here.
Youth Workforce Development Program is a program designed to provide educational planning and employment support to low income youths. Run in conjunction with Capital Area Michigan Works!, this program offers many services, including:
~Tutoring in Reading & Writing ~Help with Resume Building ~Guidance in Mastering the Interview Process ~Assistance with Conducting a Job Search
The Youth Workforce Development Program (YWDP) also assists youth in finding jobs and internships with local area businesses. Informational meetings are held at 4pm every Thursday at Capital Area Michigan Works! and for more information please click here.
Street Outreach is a program designed to find homeless youth on the streets and bring our services to them. The Street Outreach team traverses the tri-county area each week, bringing along Gateway brochures and information packets, as well as more tangible goods like blankets, clothes, food, etc.
The Street Outreach team has also partnered with local businesses to create Project SafeZone. Anywhere that you see the SafeZone logo is a safe place to stay and wait for help. SafeZone locations will also be provided with Gateway materials to help educate the community about our programs.
The goal of the Street Outreach Program is to bring our services to youth in the places in which they are confortable. If you are in a crisis and need help, you can call our 24 Hour Teen Crisis Hotline (1-877-833-3689) and someone will always be there to answer the phone and get you help.
For more information about the Street Outreach Program, please click here.
Kevin Moody Fundraiser
June 15, 2011
Gateway would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who attended the fundraiser last week in honor of Kevin Moody. The outpouring of support was amazing and truly a testament to Kevin's life.
We would also like to thank all of the sponsors of the fundraiser, including:
Miller Canfield
Jackson National
Truscott Rossman
DTE Energy
MSHDA
The Kevin J. Moody Family
Public Affairs Associates
Kelley Cawthorne, LLC
Amanda Hayhoe Kruger
MESSA
Troppo
Michigan Optometric Association
Maner Costerisan
Saper Galleries
Dunaskiss Development & Consulting
Muchmore, Harrington, Smalley & Associates
Timothy & Vicci Knowlton
James & Patricia Croom
Janet Welch & Ben Hare
Below is a tribute video for Kevin put together by Graham Davis of Truscott Rossman. We encourage everyone to watch it and celebrate Kevin's life with us.
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Fundraiser in Honor of Kevin Moody Next Thursday
June 2, 2011
Gateway will be hosting a fundraiser in honor of Kevin Moody next Thursday, June 9th, at Troppo in Downtown Lansing. Kevin served as a member of Gateway's Board of Directors for over a decade, and tragically passed away from cancer in 2009. In honor of Kevin's service to Gateway and his community, Gateway's shelter for homeless and runaway youth has been renamed The Kevin Moody Youth Home.
Gateway has also established the Kevin Moody Soulshine award, which will be awarded each year to a member of our community who has demonstrated a commitment to Kevin's ideals of community service. The formal dedication of the shelter and the yearly award will take place at the fundraiser on Thursday.
The fundraiser will be held at:
Troppo Downtown Lansing
120 N. Washington Square
Thursday, June 9th 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Tickets are $40 per person, and cash or checks will be accepted at the door on the night of the fundraiser. No credit cards please. For more information about the event, or to RSVP, please contact Bill Bross at (517) 351-4000 or by email at billbross@gatewayservices.org.
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Gateway is Hiring
June 2, 2011
Gateway is currently accepting applications for Direct Care Workers to work directly with youth living at our shelter, the The Kevin Moody Youth Home.
Applicants must have a High School Diploma, experience working with at-risk and/or homeless youth, and a valid driver's license. For the full job posting and information about how to apply, please click here.
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May YWDP Success Story
June 2, 2011
The May 2011 Success Story for the Youth Workforce Development Program has now been posted. Check it out to see how this valuable program benefits the youth in our community!
[This client] was enrolled into the Youth Workforce Development Program in October of 2008 seeking to earn a High School Diploma and secure stable employment. He realized the importance of attaining a high school diploma and he was enrolled in multiple local high school completion programs but he was unable to succeed due to unstable housing and other distractions. (read more)
You can view previous YWDP success stories by clicking here.
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June Employee of the Month
June 2, 2011
Congratulations to Chelsea Calton for being named Gateway Employee of the Month for June! Chelsea has been commended for her work with her clients, her growth in her role as a Direct Care Worker, and her commitment to Gateway's mission. To read more about why her coworkers voted her employee of the month, click here.
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Gateway and "I was here" Project Featured in Lansing State Journal
May 18, 2011
Gateway and the "I was here" project were recently featured on the front page of the Lansing State Journal as part of an article about the ongoing legislative battle to fight against bullying.
But as anyone who has ever worked with kids can attest, [stopping bullying] is easier said than done, said Jen Loforese, an anti-violence program coordinator with Gateway Community Services, an East Lansing nonprofit that offers support services for youth.
She recently launched an anti-bullying program called, "I Was Here." Student volunteers created life-sized wooden silhouettes, each one designed to represent real teens who have committed suicide because of bullying.
The silhouettes will travel to different schools in the area and also will be on display Thursday outside the state Capitol for an anti-bullying rally.
"I wanted their lives to be the lesson of empathy," Loforese said. "I wanted kids to walk amongst the shadows of the students who are gone - students who were treated as mere shadows in life. I wanted people to recognize they had a life that mattered and they didn't feel listened to before. You owe them the dignity of listening now." (read more)
You can read the entire article here. Gateway also participated in an anti-bullying rally at the Capitol last week and brought along silhouettes from the "I was here" project. Photos from the event will be up soon.
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Fundraiser in Honor of Kevin Moody
April 29, 2011
In July 2009 Gateway and many others suffered a tragic loss when Kevin Moody passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. Kevin was a longtime board member of Gateway and worked for many years at Miller Canfield where he was also the pro bono coordinator.
As a tribute to Kevin, Gateway's shelter for youth was renamed The Kevin Moody Youth Home. Gateway will be hosting an event to formally dedicate the shelter in Kevin's name on Thursday, June 9th.
Dedication Details:
Thursday, June 9th
Troppo Downtown Lansing,
120 N Washington Square
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Click on the save the date image to view a larger copy. If you are interested in attending or would like more information about the dedication, please call our offices at (517) 351-4000. We are also still looking for corporate or individual sponsors, so please call us if you are interested in sponsoring the dedication.
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Rally for Our Children
April 29, 2011
Kevin Epling, whose son committed suicide in 2004 due to bullying, has been tirelessly fighting to pass Matt's Safe School Law in Michigan. Currently, Michigan is 1 of only 5 states that doesn't have anti-bullying legislation. He is hosting a rally to raise awareness and support for this issue on Thursday, May 12, 11am-2pm downtown on the Capital Lawn.
Kevin has invited Gateway's “I was here” exhibit to be displayed on the steps. Please forward this to all of your friends, and come on out to support this great cause on May 12!
Gateway Community Services
Attend our Weekly Information Meeting!
The Street Outreach team has also partnered with local businesses to create Project SafeZone. Anywhere that you see the SafeZone logo is a safe place to stay and wait for help. SafeZone locations will also be provided with Gateway materials to help educate the community about our programs.
