News

Many of you have messaged us asking for ways to help and responded in overwhelming ways--thank you! Here is another way to get involved: become an ambassador!

We’re deeply grieved by injustices, such as systemic violence, that impact people of color. Diversity and equality are values that have been at the heart of our mission since the beginning – we have a diverse staff and serve a diverse group of young people and families. We know that injustice persists, that it affects our staff, the youth we serve, and our community as a whole, and that it requires action from each of us.

We're updating this page as new stories and information come in. Our program staff are working on the front lines with youth and families experiencing homelessness and crises, especially as COVID-19 forces them into a new and more challenging way of life.

Dear Friends, I hope you and your families are doing as well as possible under these challenging circumstances. I wanted to provide you another brief update on our programs, but mostly tell you about something new we’re starting in this season to help us support youth and families in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak.

A note from our CEO, Judith Dittman: Dear Friends, Because I know how much you care about the young people in our programs, I wanted to provide you with an update on the ways we are trying to keep them safe during the current COVID-19 outbreak. As of this writing, there are no community spread

Anne Kim is a Northern VA based writer, focusing on some of the issues at the core of our work. Her new book, "Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection" comes out on February 11th. She has an entire chapter dedicated to Second Story and how our work is helping address this crucial challenge. Her book is an excellent way to really understand some of the big issues Second Story seeks to address.

Happy new decade! In 2020 we celebrate not only a new year but a new decade, and we're feeling extra thankful for all the ways we have grown, with your help, over the past 10 years. Read about some of our 2010-2019 highlights.

Second Story's programs are located throughout Northern Virginia and serve young people throughout the entire DC metro area. Take a look at these photos for a peek into the spaces that host young people everyday, some of them 24/7, to provide safe havens and opportunities to grow and thrive...

Together, we can ensure that Second Story’s support will always be available for young people who need it the most. Our goal is to raise $4 million dollars from people like you over the course of the next three years to meet our rising expenses and continue providing uninterrupted support to young people. That’s about $1.3 million dollars a year, and we need your help.

A young person’s teenaged years are a critical moment in their life, and it’s especially important to Second Story that every young person has the safe havens and opportunities they need to graduate and pursue a hopeful future. Read Colby's story and the supplemental interview with Meghan to learn how Second Story steps in.

Every year families in our community struggle to send their kids back to school with everything they need to thrive. With your help, every August we give away backpacks filled with school supplies, provide information on resources available throughout the county, and celebrate a new school year. With your help we gave away more than 700 backpacks this year!

We relocated our administrative offices and have changed our in-kind donations hours. Donations will be accepted at Second Story for Teens in Crisis (2100 Gallows Rd, Vienna, VA) on Tuesday from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm, Wednesdays from 8:00 am until 11:00 am, and Sundays from 10:00 am until 1:00 pm. 

This summer youth from our Safe Youth Projects are going on lots of field trips, trying fun activities, and learning lots even while school is out. Learn more about what a day in the life looks like this summer at the Springfield Safe Youth Project.

We are so proud of each of them, thankful for each member of our staff who supported them everyday, and, of course, thankful to you for making it possible for us to provide safety and opportunities to homeless youth and youth in crisis so they can achieve milestones like high school graduation.

Some issues faced by young people today are the same issues they’ve been facing for decades – conflict with their parents and mental health issues, for example – and some issues could have hardly been imagined when our shelter was founded, like cyber bullying and the pressures of social media. We believe it’s essential, then, that we adapt our approach to meet this evolving set of needs.