There was a time in the 70’s (and 80s, 90’s and early aughts) when a teenager might be evicted from their home and family for a pregnancy. The reaction to telling parents you were gay or queer often evoked worse.
While the care networks for pregnant teens expanded from the 70’s to the 90s, such networks didn’t exist for teens who fall in love with someone of the same gender or don’t conform to expected gender norms.
When Alex’s parents forced them from home without a phone, car, clothing and personal belongings, Alex was homeless, isolated, and needed people who cared. Like many LGBTQ+ young people, Alex’s experience is not unusual. Nationally, 16% of LGBTQ+ youth experience homelessness or housing insecurity; 39% have considered suicide, and more than one in 10 have attempted it in the past year. Many also confront discrimination, bullying and threats to their physical safety. In rural communities, where affirming resources can be difficult to find, and where young people may feel especially visible or alone, those risks can become even more acute.
That is the gap IYG—formerly Indiana Youth Group—is working to fill in Crawfordsville and across Indiana towns.
After connecting with IYG’s support advocacy team, Alex created a personalized plan and gained access to free therapy, housing support, food, hot meals, clothing and a welcoming community space. The network provides Alex access to a future with stability, belonging and hope.
IYG’s Crawfordsville Center exists to provide a “safer space” where LGBTQ+ young people can be themselves, grow into their identities and find community, said Chris Paulsen, IYG’s chief executive officer. Paulsen emphasizes the word safer: IYG aims to be a place where young people can be seen, affirmed and supported. The organization also works to amplify young people’s voices in places where they are often overlooked.
Crawfordsville was IYG’s first expansion site beyond its original Indianapolis base for a reason. Dr. Anita Joshi, a local physician and advocate, told Paulsen she was tired of seeing patients believe suicide was their only way out. Her concern made clear that the community needed more than good intentions; it needed a dedicated place where LGBTQ+ youth could find trusted adults, peers and practical help.
Opening in a rural, politically conservative community was not the easiest path, Paulsen acknowledged. Even here in a community that considers itself tight-knit, local kids and adults are ejected from friend groups for failing to conform to norms.
That difficulty underscored the urgency. “The kids there are the ones that need us right now,” Paulsen said. “A lot of them have no one else.” In its first two-and-a-half years, the Crawfordsville Center has demonstrated both its reach and its need.
Today, the center primarily serves as a drop-in space. Young people can spend time with peers, participate in activities, and build relationships with adults who care about the challenges they may face. Programming is shaped by youth voice. Popular art activities give young people a way to express emotions when direct conversation feels difficult. Activities also incorporate practical learning, such as health education, life skills and informal therapeutic support.
The center also provides what IYG calls “support advocacy,” rather than case management—a distinction that began when a young person said, “I’m not a case to be managed.” Support advocates help connect youth with food, clothing and other essentials, while walking alongside them as they navigate challenges at school, work and home.
Here’s the rub: Need exceeds capacity. IYG’s kids need laundry, showers, housing and access to therapy.
IYG can connect Crawfordsville youth to virtual therapy, yet Paulsen said an in-person, full-time therapist would make a significant difference. The organization also hopes to expand its food pantry, clothing closet and support advocacy services. A full-time advocate could help more young people respond to school difficulties, employment barriers and housing instability before those problems become crises.
Housing remains a critical unmet need. IYG has applied, through a state-led HUD funding request, for resources that could bring supportive services to Crawfordsville. If funded, the initiative could add two staff members to help young adults experiencing homelessness access emergency housing, employment assistance and longer-term stability. Where it is safe and appropriate, staff may also help repair family relationships; otherwise, they can help young people secure alternative housing.
Ideally, a future center would offer showers, laundry facilities, a kitchen and space for a larger food pantry—ordinary resources that can be life-changing for a young person without a safe home. “There’s not much more heartbreaking than seeing a kid without a coat on, because they don’t have one,” Paulsen said.
Community members can help close that gap now. IYG needs meals for youth nights, financial donations, gently used youth-appropriate clothing, shoes and winter coats. It also needs volunteers. Ideally, the center would have three trained volunteers present throughout each youth session to help ensure safety and offer the simple but powerful presence of caring adults. Volunteers working directly with youth must complete a background check; people who prefer not to volunteer during youth hours can still assist with organizing, program preparation and other behind-the-scenes work
IYG’s vision is not simply that young people endure difficult circumstances. It is that they thrive: pursue their dreams, build confidence and develop the skills and relationships needed to create the lives they want. One young person who began attending the Crawfordsville Center three years ago arrived shy, isolated and unsure. Since then, Paulsen has watched them build meaningful relationships, find work, succeed in school and pursue their passions.
That transformation is the promise IYG offers Crawfordsville: not just a place to go, but a community that helps young people become who they already have the capacity to be.