Collin Guarino / Arizona Sonoran News

In a state with one of the nation’s lowest high school graduation rates, a Tucson nonprofit is helping homeless teens beat the odds and earn their diplomas.

In Pima County, there are more than 5,600 homeless young people. That’s where the nonprofit Youth On Their Own comes in.

The organization works with homeless teens to eliminate barriers to education and empower housing-insecure youth to stay in school.

Next year, the organization will mark 40 years of helping homeless young people make it through high school. More than 20,000 have succeeded, according to Youth On Their Own officials.

“Our mission is to support the high school graduation and continuing success of youth experiencing homelessness,” said Bethany Neumann, the organization’s director of development and communications.

Ann Young, a guidance counselor in the Amphitheater School District, started the organization in 1986 after she noticed that many of her talented students were dropping out of school due to homelessness and being forced to live on their own.

Young gathered community support and raised $80,000 in a single morning to establish a group residence for homeless teenage girls, known as the St. Andrew’s Friendly Environment House. This initiative laid the foundation for what would eventually become Youth On Their Own.

As of the 2024–25 fiscal year, Youth On Their Own served 1,668 youth, distributed more than $2 million in direct financial assistance and maintained a 93% graduation rate.

A significant amount of funding for the organization comes from individual donors and local businesses, including Tucson Subaru, which has contributed $100,000 through its “Subaru Loves to Help” initiative.

Additionally, Angel Charity for Children provided a $750,000 grant in 2022 to support the organization’s new headquarters.

Arizona residents can also contribute through the state’s Charitable Tax Credit program, allowing individuals to donate up to $495 and receive a dollar-for-dollar tax credit.

“We want to help (teens) overcome any barriers that they might have,” said Neumann. “We want to give them the opportunity to get the assistance they need to get through high school and graduate.”

The organization offers students a $350 monthly stipend for staying in school. Staff members also work directly with young people to help them obtain legal identification and access healthcare.

Its Mini Mall offers free food, toiletries, school supplies, new clothes and socks.

“The situation is more common than I think folks realize,” said Neumann, speaking about the problem of youth homelessness in Pima County. “It’s not folks who are on the corner, you know. It’s more of an invisible problem.”

Neumann said Youth On Their Own also works with the Tucson Family Food Project and Cody’s Friends to help provide meals and other resources to students who come into the center on North Country Club Road.

“One of the things that makes (Youth On Their Own) special is that it’s a Tucson thing,” said Neumann. “It’s by Tucson people, serving Tucson people.”

Arizona Sonoran News is a news service of the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

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