8 West
311 Fourth Avenue #405, San Diego, CA 92101
Getting homeless youth off the street is only part of the equation. The next step is keeping them off the street, and that means employment. That’s why, in 2015, nonprofit homeless outreach Urban Street Angels developed their 8 West transitional employment and housing program. 8 West is currently sheltering 14 transitional-age youth (18–25 years old) who undergo a 6-to-18-month job-training program built around the production of artisanal, handcrafted bath, shower, and spa products. Participants not only learn an artistic skill that can be taken with them wherever they go, they are also taught fiscal-responsibility strategies and a work ethic that will allow them to retain employment and break free from the cycle of poverty.