Ribbon is Cut at LAYC’s New Home for Young Women

“Thank God, We Accomplished this Dream.”

With those words from Radio El Zol’s morning host Pedro Biaggi, the ribbon was cut Wednesday, May 30th on LAYC’s new bilingual residential home for young women in DC’s foster care system.

The recently renovated row house on 15th and Irving St, NW, called Casa Zol, and furnished by Marlo Furniture, is the only bilingual residential facility for young women in DC. Six young women, ages 16-21, who are referred by DC’s Child and Family Services Agency will call it home beginning in June.

Biaggi, host of “Pedro Biaggi en la Mañana” on Radio El Zol, broadcast his show live from the ribbon-cutting, giving his audience the opportunity to listen in on the celebration and to learn a bit about the youth homelessness problem in the District of Columbia.

Through LAYC’s Teen Bridge Program at Casa Zol, young women living in the home will build the work and life skills they need to transition from foster care to independent living. The facility is staffed ‘round the clock and will offer its residents educational and employment assistance, counseling, case management and other services.

Sadly, when young people transition out of foster care, they often attempt to make the transition to independent living with few supports, no mentors and no real understanding of the challenges ahead. Homelessness is a frequent and tragic result. By providing the young women at Casa Zol with critical supports and equipping them with new skills, the Teen Bridge program will prepare these young women to live on their own in the future.

Noting that there are 2,000 homeless youth in DC and just 80 beds to serve them, LAYC Executive Director Lori Kaplan stressed that there is a massive unmet need for housing and supporting services for homeless youth in our city. “Right now, a lot of young people are what they call ‘couch surfers,’ going from home to home, staying with friends, but not having a stable home or place to live,” said Kaplan. “We’ve got six new beds in this wonderful home that will help -- and that’s something we should all be proud of.”

Kaplan thanked Biaggi, CBS Radio Vice President and General Manager Michael Hughes, and the team at Radio El Zol, including Bob Quier, Aracely Rivera, David Garcia and Jessica Rodriguez, for their commitment to LAYC and to youth throughout the region. Kaplan said, “You’re making a huge difference in the lives of young people – one by one.” El Zol has regularly supported and promoted LAYC’s programs, including the Summer Youth Employment program and its varied housing initiatives.

Also recognized and thanked during the ribbon-cutting were Neal Glickfield, President of Marlo Furniture, and Sherief Khalil, Corporate Sales Manager at Marlo. Marlo donated nearly all of the furniture in the house and, as Kaplan said, they “turned the house into a home.”

LAYC provides a full range of housing programs, from training and licensing Spanish-speaking individuals to become foster care parents, to providing emergency shelter for young men and young women, to offering transitional and independent living programs for young men. The new facility for young women is LAYC’s third residential facility.