Housing & Basic Needs

Assistance

A safe and healthy home environment to support wellness and education.

The Flourish Home

The Flourish Home is a place for Boone County high school students in need of housing—a place that supports their life circumstances and educational goals.

Flourish provides a safe and healthy home environment, supportive relationships, and development opportunities. Program participants are also eligible to receive mentoring, emergency and basic needs assistance, and help with savings for education and career purposes.

Since opening its doors on October 22, 2020, Flourish Home has housed 19 youth for more than 1,601 bednights. The majority of residents come from households with incomes below the poverty line. During their stay, residents improve their school attendance and increase their GPAs, helping them to be more likely to graduate and maintain employment. Staff provide transition planning to ensure youth exit the Flourish Home into safe and stable housing with enhanced life skills.

Flourish Home Youth Specialists provide direct case management services, including–

  • Educational Support:
    • School-based meetings/case management
    • Scholarship/higher education application assistance
  • Employment Support:
    • Transportation to and from work, school, and care appointments
    • Career exploration, development, and coaching
  • Life Skills Development:
    • Positive relationships, conflict management, healthy cooking/nutrition, time management
  • Service coordination:
    • Linkage to healthcare and community partner agencies
    • Transition planning

32

Columbia residents living in poverty have less than a high school degree

86

Homeless youth who experience trauma

200

Students reported homeless annually by Columbia Public Schools

Basic Needs Assistance

How can anyone focus on education or employment if they don’t have access to food, shelter, health, and/or safety?

Flourish supports basic needs like childcare, clothing, education-related expenses, food, furniture/housewares, medical/physical health costs, personal hygiene needs, shelter/housing, communication, transportation, and utilities support.

School counselors can help students obtain this assistance by contacting info@allyouthflourish.org.

Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness

Flourish has concentrated on the barriers youth face in our community. We have recently stepped into a gap working on chronically homeless adults and veterans through the practice of coordinated entry by coordinating the Boone County Coalition to End Homelessness. The Coalition is a group of over twenty private and public organizations, as well as dedicated individuals, who work in partnership to prevent and end homelessness in Boone County, MO.

For more information, visit www.bcceh.org.

Contact Us

Contact the Flourish Team for additional information on housing and basic needs funding.

Contact us