Meeting Basic Needs So Youth Can Reach Higher

Hook: Some of the barriers our clients face don’t show up in a court file.

Article: For a long time, a young woman we represent had been asking for maternity clothes and basic toiletries. No one followed through. Then one of her Crossroads attorneys, volunteer Carol Hinds, told her they could meet at her favorite clothing store.

“My Crossroads client was ecstatic when I told her we could meet at her favorite clothing store so she could pick out much needed maternity clothes and toiletries. She turned out to be an excellent shopper who can find a bargain while still getting beautiful clothes. Her request for clothes and essentials had been ignored for so long that finally having someone listen to her raised her self-esteem and confidence.”

Carol Hinds, Crossroads volunteer attorney

The clothes mattered. So did being heard.

Why It Matters

Good legal advocacy can only go so far when a young person lacks transportation, clothing, hygiene items, or school supplies. Our volunteer attorneys work toward concrete results for every youth we represent:

• Completing court-imposed sanctions
• Enrolling in school and earning passing grades
• Improving their living environment in foster care or extended foster care
• Participating, as needed, in mental health and substance abuse treatment

Each of those goals rests on the basics. Even getting to court can be a barrier. We use Uber gift cards so clients can get to and from court, meet with their attorneys, and appear before the judge, where the meaningful decisions in their case are made. A teen can’t finish community service without a ride to the site. A student can’t keep up in class without a backpack and supplies. Counseling is hard to sustain when a young person is worried about clean clothes or a meal. When we meet those needs, our attorneys can focus on the case, and our clients can focus on their goals.

Why We Expanded in 2024

In 2024, Crossroads expanded its mission to meet our clients’ basic needs alongside their legal ones. We saw that unmet basic needs kept our youth from focusing on anything else. Getting a quality education is not a high priority when you just want food to eat or a roof over your head. Planning for your future seems pointless when you’re focused on getting through today. Our clients were expected to go to school, show up for treatment, and complete community service, often without a ride, clean clothes, or a meal. One student stopped going to school altogether. When we asked why, we learned they had holes in their shoes and other kids were making fun of them. Since then, we’ve bought shoes for many of our clients.

Today our office keeps a client supply closet stocked with toiletries, socks, school supplies, and backpacks. We have also invested $10,000 in Walmart and Uber/Uber Eats gift cards that our volunteer attorneys use directly for their clients. They no longer have to pay first and wait for reimbursement. A ride to a treatment appointment or a meal before a long hearing can happen the same day the need comes up.

The Right to Choose

Our volunteers keep telling us the same thing: what a young person receives matters, and so does getting to choose it. Many of our clients have had very little say over where they live, what they wear, or what happens next.

“While shopping, I realized my client needed more than just clothing and personal care items. They also needed the chance to make decisions about their life and identity. The funding allowed me to tell my teen client that her preferences, comfort, and taste matter.”

Angela Rauber, Crossroads volunteer attorney

“Being able to choose clothes and other essentials seemed to give my client, a child in foster care, a sense of independence and also appeared to help them feel more comfortable and confident. The funding met practical needs while also giving them the chance to make choices for themselves.”

Lucie Fisher, Crossroads volunteer

Sometimes the barrier is a document or a fee. One teen had moved in with a relative who was raising him and his siblings, but she couldn’t get his birth certificate until her guardianship was approved. Without it, he couldn’t register for school or apply for a driving permit. One of his Crossroads attorneys, Lisa Kilbride, ordered the certificate and paid for his online driver’s education course. That cost would have fallen on a guardian who was supporting several children without state funding.

Another young woman Lisa represents is preparing for her GED and hopes to go to college to study nursing. Crossroads is covering the online practice tests and study resources she needs to get ready.

A birth certificate, a practice test, an outfit she picked herself. Each one opened a door that the legal case alone could not.

Thank You

None of this happens without our donors and funding partners. Your support puts a backpack on a student’s shoulder, a ride for a teen headed to treatment, and real choices in the hands of young people who rarely get them.

“Support from our donors plays a vital role in meeting the needs of the children that Crossroads represents. These funds can eliminate barriers that might otherwise prevent these kids from pursuing their goals, accessing opportunities, and achieving greater stability in their lives. By investing in these children, you help ensure our volunteer attorneys have the resources they need to provide the best advocacy—both in and out of the courtroom—and assist their clients to overcome challenges and build brighter futures for themselves.”

Lisa Kilbride, Board President