Long Wharf Theatre to Collect Bus Tokens/Passes for Youth Continuum

The homeless youth population in New Haven is no longer invisible. There are more than 1,000 of them seeking jobs, housing and striving to further their education every day. Transportation is just one of the many obstacles they face to achieve these goals; and Long Wharf Theater is reaching out with aid.

Long Wharf Theatre is accepting donations of bus tokens and 10-Ride Ticket passes on behalf of Youth Continuum during each performance of No Child ..., running from March 17 through April 18 on Long Wharf Theatre's Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven.

Bus passes/tokens may be purchased online at cttransit.com, participating Stop and Shops and at the Connecticut Transit Center at the corner of Chapel and Church streets in downtown New Haven.
"The number of homeless youth served by Youth Continuum in is expected to double this year," commented Michelle Doheny, Director of Fund Development. "Unfortunately, there are no other agencies like ours in the state - and we're now seeing kids from Hartford, Bridgeport and New London desperately in need of transportation to our facilities and to achieve their goals locally."
Youth Continuum's operates the MacMullen Center in New Haven where food, clothing, clinical services, educational support, job training, enrichment activities and supportive housing options are provided to homeless youth.

Annie DiMartino, Long Wharf Theatre's director of education, gave a workshop about life in the theatre business to a group of Youth at MacMullen Center earlier in the 2009-10 season. "The students posed a lot of thoughtful questions and had an obvious interest in wanting to better themselves and their situation," she said. "What struck me the most, and something you don't see very often, is that the kids weren't focused on the glitter and glamour of being stars. They were focused on the business and sustainable living, which is what I think the Youth Continuum helps and allows kids to understand."

Long Wharf Theatre's production of No Child ... is sponsored by Southern Connecticut State University, Bank of America and Carlton Highsmith.

For more information about the play, visit www.longwharf.org. For further information on Youth Continuum's work in the community, go to www.youthcontinuum.org.

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