Junior League of Louisville and YMCA Safe Place

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 four 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. Their mission is “to accept, affirm and advocate for teens and families in crisis through programs which empower youth to reach their full potential in spirit, mind and body.” They want to ensure that no youth facing a crisis is turned away – that all teens find the support they need in order to resolve their problems and lead a healthy and safe life. By giving teens and their families an alternative to state or court placement, they avoid the costly and damaging effects of these systems. Safe Place sees their community responsibility being realized through their commitment to serving young people who are not in the care of the state and to their mission.