Youth Futures

Our most needed items are:

Batteries
Gift Cards
Drawstring bags/backpacks
Copy Paper
Hand Warmers
Gloves

OUR STORY
Youth Futures was founded by Kristen Mitchell and Scott Catuccio, who had been conceptually
planning to provide shelter and case management services to youth for over six years. It was
identified that there was a lack of shelter services for the estimated 5,000 youth who experience
homelessness for at least one night a year in Utah, so Scott and Kristen began researching other
states that provide shelter services to youth. It was quickly identified that the largest barrier to
providing services to homeless youth in Utah was a law prohibiting the opening of shelter facilities
for youth. During the 2014 Legislative Session, HB132 was passed, which allowed for rewriting the
prohibitive law and drafting licensing procedures for residential support programs for temporary
homeless youth shelter in Utah. Youth Futures and other homeless youth service providers
participated in the rules writing process. The licensing rules enrolled on October 22, 2014, and the
founders began to set-up the facility for licensing. Youth Futures received the first license for
homeless youth shelter granted in the State of Utah under the new law.
Youth Futures opened Utah’s first homeless Residential Support Temporary Youth Shelter on
February 20, 2015, with 14 temporary overnight shelter beds located in the heart of downtown
Ogden.
Our shelter and drop-in services are available to all youth ages 12-17, and we will not exclude any
youth who falls within these age ranges, regardless of circumstance.  Intensive case management
helps youth reunite with family or become self-sufficient, contributing members of our community.
Weekly outreach efforts assist in building rapport with street youth, ensuring they receive food and
other basic necessities and educating them about options to living in unsafe conditions. Youth are
guided in a loving, supportive and productive way, encouraging their own personal path for a healthy
future.