We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Hurst and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I live in the community and I used to take my son to the Venice Beach Skatepark. I was shocked to discover how many young homeless people I saw living on the boardwalk in tents. It prompted me to begin handing out food packs with some other volunteers. That effort grew into launching Safe Place For Youth. Ten years later, we have a one-stop-shop Access Center and a continuum of services to meet the needs of homeless and at-risk youth, with over 80 staff providing services to 1,200 young people a year. I guess my thought process was, “Don’t sit back and do nothing!”

What should our readers know about your business?
Safe Place for Youth’s mission is to empower young people experiencing homelessness to thrive by providing lasting, community-driven solutions that address racial and social inequity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Safe Place for Youth Community Garden

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The people who work at SPY, the volunteers, the generous donors, and the strategic partnerships with other organizations.

Website: https://www.safeplaceforyouth.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/safeplaceforyouth/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/safeplace4youth

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SafePlaceForYouth/

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