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A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
25-250
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
June 24, 2024
To recognize and honor Deborah Shore, Founder and Executive Director of Sasha Bruce
Youthwork, on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.
WHEREAS, Deborah Shore founded Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY) in 1974 to provide
shelter, services, and housing to runaway, homeless, abused, and neglected youth in Washington,
DC;
WHEREAS, Ms. Shore’s vision and determination transformed a small shelter into a multi-
service agency with 25 programs, serving over 5,000 vulnerable youth, young adults, and their
families annually in the District of Columbia and Prince George’s Couny, MD;
WHEREAS, Ms. Shore’s strategic leadership grew Sasha Bruce Youthwork to 15 program
locations, over 150 staff members, and a budget of $18 million;
WHEREAS, Ms. Shore is a thought leader and expert in youth homelessness, runaway and
homeless youth, LGBTQ youth, pregnant and parenting youth, foster care youth, and systems
reform;
WHEREAS, Ms. Shore always champions the most vulnerable among us and strives to
include their voices and viewpoints in her vision;
WHEREAS, Ms. Shore’s leadership style and open- door policy with staff and clients has
inspired incalculable numbers of people to be focused on mission, practice, and evidence;
WHEREAS, Ms. Shore was critical in the passage of the DC Youth Count Act of 2015,
which helps ensure we have an accurate count of youth experiencing homelessness;
WHEREAS, Sasha Bruce Youthwork operates Bruce House, the only low-barrier
emergency shelter in DC for youth ages 11 to 17;
WHEREAS, Sasha Bruce Youthwork operates Olaiya’s Cradle, a transitional housing
program in DC for pregnant and parenting homeless youth ages 18 to 24 and their children; ENROLLED ORIGINAL
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WHEREAS, Sasha Bruce Youthwork operates Allen House, a therapeutic group home for
foster care youth ages up to the age of 21;
WHEREAS, Sasha Bruce Youthwork has been at the forefront of the fight to end youth
homelessness in Washington, DC for 50 years, providing innovative and effective programs and
services to some of the District’s most vulnerable young people; and
WHEREAS, Sasha Bruce Youthwork has a long history of focusing on family
strengthening as a tool to prevent youth homelessness, recognizing that strong families are
essential for the well-being of young people;
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Deborah Shore and Sasha Bruce Youthwork 50th Anniversary
Recognition Resolution of 2024”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and honors the contributions of
Deborah Shore and Sasha Bruce Youthwork to the District through their decades of service to
runaway, homeless, abused, and neglected youth.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.