YMCA Safe Place Services Information

Safe Place Services began in 1974 with the founding of Shelter House. To address the growing number of runaway and ‘throwaway’ teens, the National Council of Jewish Women, the Junior League of Louisville and the YMCA of Greater Louisville founded Shelter House, which became one of the first dedicated youth shelters in the United States. Shelter House has since provided tens of thousands of young people with a safe, secure, supportive environment that nurtures their potential and helps them chart a course to a bright, successful future. After 6 decades, Shelter House remains the only shelter of its kind in the area. In fact, Shelter House is the only youth shelter in Louisville that offers young people and their families the ability to self refer and receive help at no expense to them. In 1996 the Y-NOW Mentoring Program was created to give children at high risk of court involvement relatable adult role models to guide them and help them cope; these positive relationships are shown to decrease violence and truancy, while increasing scholastic performance and communication skills. The mentoring program has transitioned to serve children of incarcerated parents with a mission to break the cycle of incarceration. In 2004 we began a Street Outreach program to educate homeless young people about our services. In 2013, YMCA Safe Place Services is proudly opened the Matt Kubancik Youth Development Center to further assist teens and young adults with ongoing care and educational, social and employment support.