On July 5th, SVP submitted the below Letter to the Editor in response to the June 28 Daily Camera Guest Opinion:
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Social Venture Partners Boulder County believes strong nonprofits deliver better results…like a healthier, more vibrant community for all – including our at-risk youth. In 2015 SVP began investing in Attention Homes. We were blown away by what we found in the organization.
Foremost, Attention Homes has a 50-year track record of dedication to our most vulnerable youth. Their team consistently values the best interests of young clients. Over time, this means the organization has pushed itself to adjust and expand programs, thoughtfully focusing on trauma-informed care.
We take exception to Jan Hittelman’s statement (Daily Camera, Attention Homes Plan is in the Wrong Location, 6/28/2016) that supportive housing for youth is breaking from Attention Homes’ tradition. Young people with turbulent childhoods rarely have the chance to develop the skills needed to be ready for adulthood. The day a person turns 18 they still need and deserve help attaining independence. Programs like supportive housing help young people move into healthy, productive lives while saving our community the cost of future services.
SVP uses deep rigor in assessing a nonprofit’s financial stability and management practices. It takes money to provide the kind of safe, individualized, comprehensive support that creates real change for individuals. We were impressed with the skill and care Attention Homes’ leadership gives to wisely stewarding donations, while creatively leveraging resources to provide the most value for its clients.
Adding supportive housing isn’t a money-maker for Attention Homes. Each year, the organization will have to raise additional funding. Adding programming you believe is best for meeting a core need of clients – when it makes your own job harder – we feel is a sign of great courage and integrity.
Should this supportive housing come to fruition, we ask the community to join us in supporting Attention Homes with time and treasure. Our young people are worth our investment.
