Royal Oak Youth Assistance helps families with emergency needs
Royal Oak Youth Assistance helps families with emergency needs
(Lara Mossa, April 8, 2020)
Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Youth Assistance has raised over $6,000 to provide emergency services to children and families in the area.
“We fairly quickly came to a consensus that the emergency needs program is urgently needed right now,” said Sam Lynch, chairman of the board of the Royal Oak-based nonprofit group. “These are difficult times. This is by far the most important thing we are doing right now. We are able to help people and we will continue to do all we can.
A branch of Oakland County Youth Assistance, the Royal Oak organization offers a variety of programs to support children and their families. Through a joint venture of Royal Oak Schools, the local and county court system, the volunteer group raises funds to send children to camps, pay for music lessons, provide mentoring activities and a youth recognition program , among others.
But now, with the economic onslaught of the coronavirus, the organization has focused on helping low-income families meet their basic needs. Generally, Royal Oak Youth Assistance directs its programs towards young people aged 17 and under as well as families under federal jurisdiction. 
poverty guidelines. With the growing need in the community, that has changed.
“There are a lot of families that don’t fall below the poverty line, but their world has been turned upside down,” Lynch said. “They lost their jobs – especially in the last month.”
Local residents who are living paycheck to paycheck or who have lost their jobs can apply for grants to help with groceries, gas, rent and other services. In previous years, the organization offered a few hundred dollars a month in grants for emergency needs. As of the end of last week, the group had provided nearly $3,000 in grants, eight or 10 times the average amount awarded, Lynch said.
In addition to county, school, and city funding—as well as youth relief fundraising events—the Royal Oak Foundation for Public Education provided $6,000 for this service. Two part-time staff, a social worker and an administrative assistant who work for Royal Oak Youth Assistance, administer the grants. Those interested in applying can call (248) 219-6502.
Over 50 years old, Royal Oak Youth Assistance has a dozen board members and is an offshoot of a national organisation. For more information, visit www.royaloakyouthassistance.com.
