Cold Spell Prompts Cedars To Open Up Youth Center For Homeless Youth In Lincoln

LINCOLN–(KFOR Feb. 10)–With the frigid temperatures sticking around for another week in the Lincoln area, Cedars Youth Services will open up their Youth Opportunity Center near 16th and “N” streets to hold a 24-hour warming station for homeless youth.

Cedars communications specialist Amy Svoboda tells KFOR News the Street Outreach team have good connections with youth in Lincoln that have no place to go to seek shelter from the cold, which helped spur the idea to open up the Opportunity Center for 24-hour shelter over the next week.

“They came up with the idea (to keep the shelter open 24 hours),” Svoboda said.  “They’ve reached out to those kids to tell them that they have a safe and warm place to go and we’re welcoming other kids in the community, as well, who we might have not been able to reach out to quite yet.”

Homeless youth will receive hygiene products, get warm meals, a place to stay overnight, plus a mask to protect themselves from COVID-19.