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Bloomington homeless youth shelter must raise $16K by Thursday night to stay open

Posted at 10:44 PM, Jun 29, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-29 22:44:53-04

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A Bloomington shelter that serves homeless youth was just hours away from shutting its doors Wednesday night.

Stepping Stones had until Thursday evening to raise $16,000, or the teens it serves would be without stable housing.

Stepping Stones is a transitional housing facility for homeless kids in crisis.

The program lost a $55,000 federal grant, money it used to pay salaries and run programs for the 16-to-20-year-olds it enrolls.

Its clients are kids who come from broken homes – many of them with mental health issues and physical disabilities.

Stepping Stones is only one of a handful of facilities throughout Indiana that cater to the unique niche of homeless youth.

The shelter has cut nearly half its staff and its executive director has taken a $5,000 pay cut. Still, the facility needs $16,000 by Thursday night to remain open.

For more information about Stepping Stones and how you can help it stay open, click here.