When Carmy first walked through the doors of Edgewood’s Drop-In Center, they weren’t sure what to expect. Their case manager had mentioned the space, a welcoming place for young adults ages 18 to 25, and offered to give them a tour. “I remember thinking, this is actually really cool,” Carmy said. “I started going right after that. I just wish I had found it sooner.”

What Carmy discovered was more than a resource center. It was a community.

“There’s always people around, peer partners, friends, staff, and you can choose what you want to do,” Carmy explained. “Sometimes I hang out with the peer partners, sometimes I bring my friends. It’s just a space where you can be yourself.”

For Carmy, the Drop-In Center has become a lifeline. Between working and managing day-to-day challenges, the services at Edgewood help them stay steady.

“The food pantry helps a lot,” they said. “Sometimes I’ll grab food to cook at home, or I’ll come here for a meal. It’s not just the food, it’s the chance to sit, talk, and connect. It feels good to be around people.”

That sense of belonging is exactly what the team at Edgewood hopes to build. “Getting into new places and spaces can be really scary for young people,” said Kristina Becker-Cabaña, Associate Director of the Drop-In Centers. “A lot of times, people don’t know how to ask for help, or they’ve had help pushed on them that didn’t really fit. We meet people where they’re at. They’re the experts of their own experience.”

At Edgewood’s Drop-In Centers, that philosophy comes to life every day. The Centers provide essentials like food, hygiene items, and bus tokens, but they also offer something deeper: a safe, judgment-free space where young adults can rest, recharge, and rediscover hope.

“It’s everything from basic needs to needs you didn’t even know you had,” Becker-Cabaña said. “Community, peer support, and just knowing there’s a place where you’re understood.”

Carmy agrees. “The staff here, people like Yulissa, Leanne, and Michael, they’re amazing. I can talk to them about anything. They know me, they care, and even my care team connects with them. It’s like everyone’s working together to help me stay on track.”

Carmy now encourages others to check out the Drop-In Center too. “When I was in the transitional shelter, I told my roommates, ‘You have to come here.’ 

For Becker-Cabaña and her team, that kind of word-of-mouth means everything. “We tell young adults, just come in,” she said. “You don’t have to talk, you don’t have to ask for anything. Just be in a space where you’re not judged. No hidden agendas. You can trust us. You can just be you.”

At Edgewood’s Drop-In Centers, that’s all anyone asks, for young people to show up, feel safe, and know they belong. And for Carmy, that’s made all the difference.