“I know there’s a lot of kids out there who grew up, or is growing up right now that don’t have a safe place to go and don’t have people to turn to. And that was me,” said a former resident of a Juneau homeless shelter focused on helping youth
Shelter Supervisor Forrest Clough, Youth Services Manager Jorden Nigro, and Youth Action Board Member Tiana at Shéiyi X̱aat Hít Youth Shelter. Oct. 14, 2022.
Nigro is the youth services manager for Juneau Parks and Recreation, and she runs the Zach Gordon Youth Center and Shéiyi X̱aat Hít Youth Shelter. Before Shéiyi X̱aat Hít opened, Tiana struggled to find a safe place to stay, when her family home wasn’t safe. KTOO isn’t using her last name due to the stigma attached to homelessness.
Another project she pushed for on the Youth Action Board was a place for people aged 18 to 20. So the shelter also hosts transitional housing, a four-room apartment, which is currently rent-free.