Huckleberry House’s Youth Outreach Program assists youth ages 12 to 24 struggling with housing instability and other needs. Credit: Nicole DeFabio | Lantern Reporter
As the days shorten and the weather grows colder, students often look to their dorm rooms or apartments for warmth and shelter.
For many in the University District, however, finding a place to stay can prove challenging. To combat this issue, support is available just off campus for housing needs.
Huckleberry House — located at 1421 Hamlet St. on the corner of East Eighth Ave. and Summit Street — is a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting unhoused and at-risk youth within the Columbus community, according to its website.
Though the nonprofit’s main crisis shelter accommodates adolescents aged 12 to 17, its Youth Outreach Program assists youth ages 12 to 24 struggling with housing instability, as well as a lack of food, clothing or other hygienic resources, said Sonya Thesing, Huckleberry House’s executive director.
As a hub for youth-system housing in Central Ohio, the house provides young people with access to 113 apartments and connects them to additional resources, Thesing said. Individuals can call the Youth Outreach Program at 614-294-8097 to see if they are eligible for housing.
Thesing also said it’s important for the house to go beyond shelter-related needs, as other community concerns demand time and attention.
“Anyone who’s experiencing housing instability can call the [Youth Outreach Program], but also, they’ve always got hygiene kits, and they can help you find food pantries — all of the things that people need in our community,” Thesing said. “We’re kind of a hub for young people to get access to resources.”
In addition to these resources, Huckleberry House also offers counseling services through a center with eight full-time therapists and a community case manager, said Carol Argiro, director of advancement at Huckleberry House.
“We are an approved provider for Ohio State,” Argiro said. “The [Ohio State Counseling and Consultation Services] recommend Huckleberry House, especially if there’s a waitlist and somebody needs to be seen right away.”
Thesing said she encourages Ohio State students to take advantage of the counseling services, which are completely free and allow students to visit as often as needed, without having to wait for appointment availability from providers in their insurance network.
“We have a special fund with a generous donor who has made it possible for us to see Ohio State students at no cost,” Thesing said. “We started our own counseling program back in 2005 because we recognized that there was such a long wait list everywhere, and all of our program participants — whether in the shelter or in housing — needed access to counseling.”
As a private nonprofit organization, Huckleberry House relies on donations from agencies such as the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County and Franklin County Children Services, according to its 2021 annual report.
Even so, Argiro said donations from community members are critical in continuing the house’s services.
“Organizations like Huckleberry House always need cash donations, no matter what the amount is,” Argiro said. “With that said, we have a running list on our Amazon wish list of things that we need that range from mylar blankets to toothbrushes and toothpaste.”
Huckleberry House’s Amazon wish list can be found on its website, and donations are accepted online or in person Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Huckleberry House Administrative Office, located within the main building.
