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Youth Crossroads supports youth, guiding them through life’s challenges, and inspiring them to discover new opportunities for personal development, healthy relationships, and positive community involvement.

10 things you need to know about Youth Crossroads:

1Youth Crossroads is the only organization serving Berwyn, Cicero, Lyons, Stickney, and Forest View that provides counseling services and youth development programs free of charge in English and Spanish. Without Youth Crossroads, the youth in our community would not get the guidance, support, and inspiration they desperately need.
Our community engagement programs distributed 130,000 pounds of food this year to 3,845 families
2Youth Crossroads has been at the forefront of gun violence reduction programs in our community since 1974 by providing at-risk middle and high school students with comprehensive trauma-informed mental health services and youth development programs. This includes using trauma informed therapeutic screenings and services, a trauma informed social justice lens, psychological first aid, shame reliance, safe spaces, youth leadership training, community service, workforce development, and after-school enrichment.
During the Covid-19 lock-down, YC distributed 200 kits weekly to community members and families. Kits included social-emotional learning activities, arts & crafts project materials, STEM activities, life skills lessons, and snacks
3Youth Crossroads new workforce development program offers high school students and young adults (ages 16-24) with introductory job training in Community Health Work, Nutrition Education, Business Development, Entrepreneurship, and Music Education.
All YC services have been offered for free to youth in English and in Spanish since 1974. Without these services, many students would not seek the help they need
4100 percent of Youth Leadership Program seniors went on to college in 2022 (95 percent in 2021), significantly higher than their peer group.
I have been working with these guys since years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!
5More than 90% of Youth Crossroads’ direct service staff holds master’s degrees in clinical social work and counseling, and YC is committed to engaging staff that mirror the populations of our service areas.
I have been working with these guys since years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!
6In the past 18 months, Youth Crossroads has distributed over 300,000 pounds of food to 4,000(+) families in need in our community.
I have been working with these guys since years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!
7Youth Crossroads significantly increased their presence in Cicero by serving as the fiscal agent for the Cicero Community Collaborative, and AOK (All our Kids) Network Cicero. We also added a new space in Cicero to accommodate the Cicero Community Collaborative, AOK, our Workforce Development program, and food pantries.
I have been working with these guys since years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!
8Youth Crossroads after-school enrichment program, “Youth Connections Academics,” provides Berwyn middle school students with the social-emotional, relational, and academic support they need by building connections to each other, high school mentors, trustworthy adults and their community. Our B.U.I.L.T. summer camp (Building Unique Individual Leaders Today) provides middle-school students with a positive, safe, and free summer program focused on the arts, recreation, STEM, SEL, and team-building activities.
I have been working with these guys since years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!
9Youth Crossroads is the identified agency by the State of Illinois to provide crisis intervention in Chicago’s near west suburbs to teens who refuse to return home or get locked out.
I have been working with these guys since years now! With lots of hard work and timely communication they made sure they delivered the best to me. Highly recommended!
10Youth Crossroads trained Youth Health Ambassadors (a team of bilingual high school students) to provide 1 st and 2 nd generation Latinx families with accurate and reliable information about Covid-19 and vaccinations, which significantly increased vaccination rates in Cicero and Berwyn.

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Casey Nussbaum

I started at Youth Crossroads when I was a freshman at Morton East High School. I didn’t want to just come…

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Jaqueline Alvarez-Leanos

Jacqueline sought counseling support from Youth Crossroads as a sophomore at Morton East High School to deal with anxiety, depression and…

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Sadie

Sadie is in 8th grade and has been living with her grandparents for a few months. After multiple suicide attempts and…

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Veronica

Veronica is a senior in high school. Her parents have been divorced for two years due to her father’s drinking and…

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Lucas

Lucas was referred by his probation officer for a weapons offense. Lucas, a high school student had several altercations with a…

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Samantha

Samantha is a freshman in high school. She was referred to counseling services because she is regularly getting angry with school…

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