LOS ALAMITOS : Youth Shelter Plans Endowment Fund

Casa Youth Shelter, a temporary shelter for runaway teen-agers, will establish an endowment fund from private donations to make itself self-sufficient, according to executive director Luciann Maulhardt.

To launch the fund-raising effort, activities will be held Feb. 8 to 12, Maulhardt said, including an open house at the organization’s facility at 10911 Reagan St. The theme for the week’s activities is “Give Your Heart to Casa,” she said.

“An endowment fund will free the shelter from the vagaries of government funding and ensure continued service to troubled teens and their families,” Maulhardt said.

The names of those who donate $5,000 or more will be inscribed on an “Endowment Wall” that will be unveiled at the shelter’s reception area, Maulhardt said. Those who donate $1,000 to $4,999 will receive plaques.

Pledges will be honored over a period of three years, she said.

Since it was founded in 1978 as a private, nonprofit organization, Casa Youth Shelter has helped reunite 5,709 runaway teen-agers with their families, Maulhardt said. An additional 921 were referred to other agencies.

Maulhardt said that less than 1% of those who have been helped by the shelter have gone to prison.

“We offer a safe place to stay for a young person who cannot remain at home,” Maulhardt said.

She added that the shelter offers family and teen-age counseling and a program called “Pathways to Parental Empowerment” for parents of Casa residents as well as members of the community.

“We help both teens and parents address their conflicts and learn skills (in) dealing with one another,” Maulhardt said.