The Door: Youth Opportunity Hub Grantee

In February 2017, The Door was selected to receive funds under the Criminal Justice Investment Initiative (CJII) in response to the Manhattan District Attorney Office’s request for proposals to establish Youth Opportunity Hubs serving East Harlem, Central and West Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Lower East Side. The Youth Opportunity Hubs investment will create vibrant youth centers that provide comprehensive and coordinated services and opportunities, drawing upon young people’s strengths and addressing multiple risk factors and needs to prevent youth from becoming involved in the criminal justice system.

With these funds, The Door will partner with multiple organizations to establish a Youth Opportunity Hub in SoHo that will serve young people from across Manhattan. The Hub will provide services including, but not limited to, mentoring, case management, community service, housing assistance and placement, reproductive care, recreation and arts, and legal advocacy. The Hub’s central location will help draw in young people from all four CJII focus neighborhoods, and The Door’s experience providing an array of services at this location will be a strong bedrock for the Hub. Partners for the Hub include Arms Acres, Avenues for Justice, Carnegie Hall, CASES, Fresh Youth Initiative, The New York Foundling, Per Scholas, Project Renewal, Sheltering Arms, University Settlement, and the Whitney Museum.

The Door is one of five organizations to receive funds to create Youth Opportunity Hubs. These comprehensive, wraparound approaches help to reduce the likelihood of interaction with the justice system by cultivating a young person’s strengths, rather than focusing predominantly on risk and delinquency.

The Youth Opportunity Hubs, along with the other initiatives being developed under CJII, form a comprehensive set of strategic investments that, together, will have a significant, lasting impact on public safety and justice reform in New York City.