The Dale House Project

The Dale House opened in 1972 as a special project with Young Life, a para-church outreach to youth. In 2000, The Dale House Project became a legally separate entity. Our goal is to prepare these at-risk youth for independent living by helping them acquire the necessary skills to become self-supporting, contributing members of society. 137 youth were served this year, with 90% of the youth served between ages 18-21. Youth in our housing program receive support to learn how to manage their living situation independently as adults. Over 3,000 days of housing were provided to 22 youth, with an average stay of 4.5 months. Youth in our employment program receive work readiness training in soft skills, time management, emotional regulation and skill building. These lessons take place in work sites that include landscaping, gardening, light woodworking, art therapy, and more. 7,200 hours of work readiness training was provided in the last year. While our residents can be resourceful and have learned to survive, they are often troubled by drug and/or alcohol addictions, temptations to return to gangs, and the helplessness inflicted by victimization. But, they are resilient and their achievements are a great testimony to their courage and determination. Dale House provided over 13,000 hours of treatment services this year.The second goal of our program is to provide a training and vocational development program for young adults who work with our youth. During the one year term, these staff work with youth to support their ongoing treatment. They also receive training and space to reflect on their faith, vocation, and identity. We have trained more than 300 men and women in troubled youth ministry, and approximately 85% of them have continued on in a variety of vocations in the human services field.