2023 Grant Recipient

Neighborhood House

AWARD: $100,000

FOCUS AREA: FAMILY

PROJECT: Reconnecting to Disconnected Youth Ages 16-24

PROJECT IMPACT: To best meet the needs of adolescents ages 16-24, we propose hiring a Youth Advocate, trained in coaching skills, to be a frontline staff person focused on disconnected youth. This Advocate would meet youth where they are—from basketball courts to front porches. They would also organize events at Neighborhood House to build social connections with young adults, encouraging them to enroll in coaching and meet their individual goals.

Organization Statement: Neighborhood House, founded in 1896, supports families by creating a community of opportunity. Together with our members, we connect to one another and to resources, break down barriers, advocate for change, and invest in futures. Our vision is that all Neighborhood House families are thriving.

Major Recent Successes:

  • In 2022, 91% of our preschoolers graduated kindergarten-ready. 
  • In 2021-22, 54 family leaders worked with a family coach. Ninety percent of families made progress toward their goals.
  • Our Emergency Food Bank is one of the few food banks open five days a week in the West End. Nearly 1000 households received food boxes in 2022.

How this funding will impact this organization:  

Founded in 1896, Neighborhood House has served seven generations of Louisville families in five program areas: Child Development; Youth Develop- ment; Family Coaching; the Senior Program and the Emergency Food Bank.

What’s missing is programming for those at risk of becoming disconnected youth, the Center for Disease Control’s term for youth who are neither working nor in school. According to the 2023 Greater Louisville Project Report "Safer City by Design," Louisville's rate of disconnected youth has been increasing since 2019.  Though our Youth Development Program is open to kids through high school, youth often leave our program around age 16 because we do not offer activities and wraparound services specifically geared toward their age group.

We are requesting three years of funding for:

  1. A community connector staff position. By the beginning of 2024, Neighborhood House will be ready to expand our young adult membership. First, the community connector will build community partnerships and connect current Neighborhood House youth members to new programming.  They will build relationships with disconnected youth in the community, meeting youth where they are—from basketball courts to front porches.  They will help young adults identify their goals and connect them to opportunities for education, employment, and positive relationships with their peers.
  2. Professional development assistance for all Youth Advocates working with disconnected youth. Neighborhood House operates with a family coaching model. Initial training will be required for new staff, and ongoing professional development will be important as we learn what coaching skills/tools work best with this age group.


Wish List: 

  • Menstrual products
  • Diapers in all sizes
  • Hygiene products, like body wash or deodorant
  • 2T-5T underwear (boys and girls)
  • 3T-5T pull-on shorts/pants (new)
  • Gift cards to Walmart, Kroger, etc. to buy program supplies
  • Meeting Owl (Video Conferencing Camera)
  • Commercial/industrial cotton candy machine
  • Light tables for CDC classrooms
  • 2022 or newer digital/DSLR camera with optical zoom


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