Last updated Jun 4, 2023 0 Comments 0

Y2Y Harvard Square - Seasonal Shelter

Address
1 Church St
Cambridge, MA -

Contact
(617) 864-0795
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Y2Y is an emergency shelter for young adults. We accept anyone between the ages of 18-24. We also accept some 25 year-olds, as long as they were still 24 years of age at the beginning of our operational season (November 1st). Under no circumstances can we accept guests who are less than 18 years old.

Y2Y is not a wet shelter or a dry shelter. It is a safe shelter. At the door each night, our youth worker on staff will assess if everyone is safe to be in the space (i.e. not a potential danger to themselves and others). Our youth worker will also assess whether everyone who enters the shelter will be a non-disruptive and constructive presence in the space that evening.

Because of our youth-to-youth volunteer model, we dont have the ability to accept guests who need close medical supervision or guests who may be disruptive in the space. We use behavioral, not biological, thresholds to determine safety.

Getting A Bed
Y2Y offers two kinds of stays, 30-night stays and 1-night stays. We only give away beds by lottery. Here is a printable version of information about Y2Y, services provided, and how to receive a bed.

30 Night Stays At Shelter
Enter the 30-night bed lottery by calling us in the morning at (617)864-0795 between 8:00 A.M and 8:45 A.M in the morning. A Y2Y staff member will ask for your name and date of birth, and then give you a lottery number.

To check if you have won the 30-night lottery, call us back after 8:50 A.M. or come to the entrance of the shelter, where we will post winning lottery numbers daily.

1 Night Stays
Enter the 1-night bed lottery by calling us in the evening between 9:00 P.M. and 9:30 P.M. Then, call back after 9:35 P.M. to check if you have won a bed for that night. You must arrive at the shelter by 11:45 P.M.

You may enter both the 30-night lottery and the 1-night lottery on the same day. For example, if you call us in the morning but do not receive a 30-night bed, you may call us that same evening to enter the 1-night lottery.

More Information
On a few days, beds will not be available at Y2Y if we have no space. If you call, a Y2Y staff member will tell you that beds are not available that day. We encourage you to call back the next day to re-enter the lottery, as beds will frequently open up.
Do not enter the 30-night lottery more than once per day, or you may be disqualified. However, if you do not win the 30-night lottery, we encourage you to call back in the evening for a one-night stay, or call back the next day to re-enter the lottery.
Case mangers, social workers, and other individuals may enter the lottery on behalf of someone else. If you are entering the lottery on behalf of someone else, make sure that person is aware you are doing so, and ready to accept a bed immediately. Make sure no one else is entering the lottery on behalf of that person, since double entries may lead to disqualification.

You can contact the shelter through email: info@y2yharvardsquare.org.

Tags Volunteers Needed: As a volunteer with Y2Y, you will have the opportunity to both change lives and experience personal change. You will have the opportunity to learn from your fellow volunteers on shift, from staff members through reflections, and from our guests through countless meaningful conversations shared in the shelter. You’ll become part of our kind, supportive, and fun community with almost 200 of your peers. We hope that Y2Y can be a place for all of us — volunteers, staff, and guests — to rest, grow, and lead together, and we sincerely hope that you will join us!