Ready4Life Helps Opportunity Youth
An initiative has been launched in Southern Maryland that is designed to help young people who are not in school or employed. Ready4Life is a website that connects 16- to 24-year-olds with a range of services to enhance the knowledge and skills of the group called Opportunity Youth. The Ready4Life site was advertised recently in the Health St. Mary’s Partnership newsletter, supported by MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown.
The program specializes in helping the age group with housing, education, employment, and behavioral health in all three Southern Maryland counties. The young people served by the program are from all walks of life and all backgrounds. Some are Caucasian, Native American, Asian American, Latino, and African-American. They might be native born citizens or immigrants; poor or wealthy; of different genders; suburban or rural citizens; and belong to any faith.
Opportunity Youth are being left behind: they might be ready to work but lack the skills that employers want; or they might not be ready to work because of individual issues and systems barriers. Without adequate support, these young people might have trouble keeping jobs.
Through Ready4Life, these young people can find information on education, job training, housing, food, and clothing. Those who need support with substance abuse or mental health issues can find information on finding service providers. Others in the community also can use the site as a way to work collaboratively with other groups, improving the platform and its results for young people.
The main goal of Ready4Life is to ensure that young people are ready for life and can become financially secure.
About MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital
This full-service community hospital delivers state-of-the-art emergency, acute inpatient and outpatient care, right in the heart of St. Mary’s County. The hospital is dedicated to excellence in all of its services and has been named among the country’s Top 100 Hospitals.
For more information and one-click access to a full list of resources available at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, visit its Leader member page.
