a good cause

Michael Sciacca

Mary-Ellen Cianciabella is an advocate for youth. Her work at the

Huntington Youth Shelter is testament to that fact.

A safe haven for troubled youth, the shelter, located in the historic

Brooks House and near the Central Library in Huntington Central Park,

provides a temporary safe refuge for runaway, homeless and youths with

behavioral problems.

The 12-bed ranch-style home situated on two acres of land with

exercise and recreational facilities, is open to youngsters ages 11 to 17

and is a 24-hour “awake facility,” she said.

“Our focus is to establish positive experiences to rebuild

self-confidence while developing relationships that can be counted on to

transcend present and future difficulties,” said Cianciabella, a

certified administrator and site program manager.

The rewards of seeing a child come out better off after their stay at

the shelter are many, she said. But the challenges are there, too.

“One of the main areas we push is education,” she explained. “We have

schooling here every day between 9 a.m. and noon. You know, one of the

rewarding things is having a former client call us, come back, or send a

letter, saying how much their stay here has helped them. You can’t put a

price on that.” Cianciabella, who has two grown children of her own and

formerly worked in the Huntington Beach Union High School District, has

always been involved with local youth. One project she’s been trying to

complete is an outreach venue in the Downtown area for children who don’t

have transportation to get to the shelter itself.

“All I would need is desk space in an existing building,” she said,

“By opening up this outreach office, kids who do not have the means of

traveling to the shelter would have a place Downtown where they could go.

Of course, there are no funds available for this.”

Cianciabella has been in her position at the shelter for four years.

The number of youngsters at the shelter is small, and she said the

shelter is “lucky” if it has children come through their doors in a year.

The shelter finds its clients through high school counselors, the police

department, such as children who are on probation, parents and even the

children, themselves, come on their own volition.

Parent permission is needed for a child to stay at the shelter, which

provides food, shelter and an environment that nurtures guidance and

understanding to these youths in crisis. The Huntington Youth Shelter

currently has a staff of 12. The doors are always open and staff is

available around the clock.

“A lot of the kids who come through our doors say that this is the

nicest place they’ve ever been,” Cianciabella said of a shelter whose

activities include daily case management, rebuilding family bonds, group

discussion sessions, training in independent living skills, study and

private time and recreation and exercise.

Currently the shelter is home to four youngsters, although,

Cianciabella said, the numbers can fluctuate on a daily basis.

“We are thrilled when a child has success here,” she said. “Our doors

are always open.”

BOX

The Huntington Youth Shelter has a 24-hour hotline number. The number

for the shelter, at 7291 Talbert Ave., is (714) 847-5437.