Highland House preparing to close its doors
By: Kimberly Rusley
Updated: February 28, 2013
The Highland House serves as shelter to young girls that age out of foster care. Sadly, in another month or so, the doors will be shutting.
"Highland Haven provided an opportunity for girls to change their lives, to girls to be prepared to be productive and happy," says Chuck Meehan, CEO and Pres. What we want for all of our children. So it's going to dramatically affect this community."
The Highland House is a program belonging to the Volunteers of America-Northwest Louisiana. The program's contract to receive federal funding has not been renewed for this year.
"We're concerned, because this is a time that we just haven't experienced before," says Meehan. "There's so much uncertainty about what's going to happen."
Starting at midnight tonight, the program will no longer get grant money.
"Well, there won't be a program without this funding," says Robyn Miller, Highland House Program Director. "Which severly handicaps the homeless population for youth in this area for the girls we serve."
Miller says she's packing up the house, getting ready to move out.
Five of the six girls who called the Highland House home have already been moved to other home. Miller says she's worried about future girls who will need the home.
"We serve about 20 girls a year, so that's about 20 homeless youth that, you know, won't be receiving services this year," says Miller.
Workers with the program also keep in touch with the girls after they leave, but soon enough that will stop too.
Miller says this would've been the program's sixth year.
