The United Way of Delaware County celebrated the one year anniversary of its Young Adult Transitional Living Program at TreeHouse on Wednesday.

The program, which began last summer at a renovated property on Oak Hill Avenue in Delaware, provides resources, support, and sometimes housing for young adults facing housing instability.

United Way of Delaware County President Brandon Feller said the program was created after the organization opened its Strengthening Families Hub at Willis Education Center and saw there was an unresolved need for housing stability among some young people.

“We became aware of young adults turning 18 and becoming homeless because of family situations or there just aren’t resources for them,” Feller said. “We were working with school staff, scrambling to do the best we can to come up with a great solution, but we didn’t have that resource locally in terms of a longer-term program where someone could stabilize, save and build life skills. We realized it’s a significant need.”

Feller said the United Way reached out to other agencies and partners but weren’t able to find an organization looking to do that kind of programming.

“So we said, ‘I guess it’s us,’” Feller said. Staff at the United Way, he added, took trainings, visited other Ohio organizations doing similar work and asked them about best practices.

“(We were able to) take bits and pieces from all the models we saw and put it together for the exact solution we needed in Delaware,” Feller said. “Every community is different. (I would say), ‘Tell me the bad stuff, tell me what went wrong,’ that’s what I wanted to know so that we could do as much planning and preparation as possible.”

Feller added the United Way was “blessed by a generous community that really pitched into the capital campaign” to buy the Oak Hill property.

Kelsey Fox, director of housing and community solutions at United Way of Delaware County, said in the year since the TreeHouse opened, they have worked closely with 21 young people. Fox said five of those 21 lived at the house, and the other 16 were provided casework and referrals.

“We’re so pleased!’ Fox said. “The community support has been unparalleled. The way (business and community partners) have turned out for our young people has truly been unparalleled.”

Fox said participants in the program are given several types of support, including mental health, physical health, food pantry and community support, even if they don’t live at the TreeHouse, which functions like a dorm and is staffed by United Way 24 hours a day.

“The deeper the relationship that’s created with the young person, the more referrals and wrap-around services we’re able to provide to help them to achieve their individual goals,” Fox said. “Individual goals are the heart and soul of the program. We’re looking to build community and to help reinforce that our participants are the experts in their own lives. I love building community, and I feel like I have 21 new people in my community because of this program.”

Fox said the ultimate goal is stable housing for the participants but said they want to empower the young adults to feel like “the masters of their own universe.”

Feller said the program isn’t just about housing. It’s also about building life skills and community.

“It really is a program centered around making connections in our community and building life skills,” Feller said. “These are young adults who have had difficult circumstances, who are focused on working hard to get past that and build a future. It’s bigger than just the five bedrooms we have in this property. A lot of times it’s a matter of how to guide someone through the steps of what to do next, what are the resources in the community, not just giving them a phone number but going to that agency with them and making that connection so that they get what they need.”

Feller said two of the five individuals who lived at the TreeHouse have already completed the program and moved into stable housing.

“Once you get into a place where you can get organized without wondering where you’re going to eat or sleep, you can start looking down the road,” Feller said. “We have a great group here as well. All are employed and saving for their future. They’ve been participating in financial literacy programming and meeting weekly with our coaching staff to make sure they’re on track with their goals so they’re really doing a great job.”

Feller said he considers the program a success.

“We’ve been so excited to be open and serving residents that need a place to regroup and plan for the future,” he said. “It’s been such a great learning experience for us to see the diversity of needs and life situations that people are coming from. But we’ve had such great success. … It’s overwhelming to me. I get a little emotional about it because I know it’s so personal, and it’s such a case by case situation.”

Feller said the United Way is making sure the TreeHouse is set up for the future and is “keeping an open mind” about it. He added the organization would consider expanding the program “if the need is there and the funding is there.”

“This program is able to continue because of the support of the community,” Fox added. “Community members that would like to help us support can visit our website where there are ways to volunteer, help spread the word or give financial aid.”

More information about the United Way can be found at https://www.liveuniteddelawarecounty.org/.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.