Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE) helps homeless youth get off the streets with a place to stay, programs and assistance to finish school or earn their GED.
Originally published by Kevin Fujii at Honolulu Civil Beat
Residential Youth Services & Empowerment (RYSE) operates an emergency shelter and drop-in location for 18- to 24-year-olds in need of housing, food or a shower at its Kawailoa location in Kailua.
With a half-dozen housing programs and a score of housing vouchers for independent living on O‘ahu, RYSE works to keep youth off the streets. Approximately 110 youth seek assistance with RYSE at any given time.
RYSE director of empowerment Sylvia Carter said: “Our wraparound services are designed not just to stabilize youth, but to help them discover their power, build confidence and create a path forward. Today, I have the privilege of supervising two amazing RYSE staff members who once walked through our doors as clients. That speaks volumes about what’s possible when support and opportunity come together.”
Housing is only a piece of solving Oʻahu’s homeless youth problem. RYSE also offers education classes or assistance to get back into school, medical and behavioral health care and work opportunities. Since January 2024, the “RYSE to Hana” workforce development program had 60 youth interns participate. Fifty-two of the interns found employment upon completion of the program.
“We’re here to show what’s possible, not just what’s wrong,” RYSE executive director Carla Houser said. “Every connection we make, every internship we offer and every youth we walk alongside is a step toward a future rooted in stability, dignity and purpose. Whether it starts with a conversation on the street or a job interview through our ‘RYSE to Hana’ program, we meet youth where they are and walk with them as they rise. The best part? They don’t just move forward, they come back to lift others, too. That’s breaking the cycle of homelessness and building the cycle of hope.”
The RYSE outreach team connects with approximately 550 youth annually through pop-ups, mobile support and direct outreach on the streets.
Four RYSE staff members were introduced to the program as clients. Kylé-Ann Bobo became a client when she found herself homeless. “I moved to Hawaiʻi to help out my family,” Bobo said. “Then I found myself alone and on the streets when things started to go wrong with my family.”
“A lot of the time, we’re the first people these youth open up to, and that means everything,” outreach and diversion manager Nick Thompson said.
“We meet them where they’re at, whether that’s out in the community or just sitting down for a real talk,” Thompson said. “We’re not just handing out supplies. We’re building trust, helping them find housing and letting them know they’ve got someone in their corner. It’s about showing up, being consistent and helping them see there’s a future out there that’s actually theirs to shape.”
This project was supported by the Aspen Forum for Community Solutions at the Aspen Institute.
For the full press release, please visit Honolulu Civil Beat.