28 A Safe Haven in Jerusalem for English Speaking Youth in Distress Crossroads Jerusalem (“Crossroads”) is the sole intervention program in Jerusalem that focuses on at-risk English-speaking teens. The teens are often homeless, struggling with addictions and have been the unfortunate recipients of physical, sexual and emotional abuse. In many cases they are estranged from their parents and/or come from broken homes. These teens are exposed to high-risk behaviors, violence and further abuse on the streets. Crossroads’ skilled social workers go out into the streets at night to find teens in need and bring them to the safety of the Crossroads Drop-in Center. Through crisis intervention, individual therapy, group therapy, educational assistance and intervention, Crossroads provides the teens with hope, and direction to help them lead healthier and more productive lives. In 2017, Crossroads “met” 1,161 new teens on “the street” and had 4,848 visits to its Center and currently have 153 teens in weekly therapy where they learn about themselves, deal with their problems, develop trust, and “chill out.” As Crossroads has grown HOT has made grants to purchase the equipment to establish (i) a much needed “hotline” for troubled teens late at night when loneliness and desperation peak, (ii) a therapeutic music room, (iii) a computer room, and (iv) a teen game room. We have also funded (v) an additional full-time social worker, and (vi) a part-time social worker to establish a Midnight Café (9-11 PM on Thursday nights), and (vii) financed the expansion of an innovative Intern to Learn program for kids on the verge of dropping out of school. The internship serves as the transition to either full employment or back to school, and (viii) we funded a successful Pilot Program to help teens in need find Crossroads through the Internet. Imagine the troubled teen going to his/her regular sites and contacting a helping hand rather than a predator. Crossroads has continued to grow and while often hard to do, they have continued to do this with fiscal discipline. This year we are asking our donors to consider designating: • $5,372 for one half of the cost (HOT has already paid the other half) for 30 teens to take a 10-month course to enhance their testing skills and ability to pass, and pay the fee for them to take, the GED (High School Equivalency Diploma) Exam • $12,450 for a part time social worker to increase the number of hours of therapy offered to each teen. • $18,162 for music equipment and lessons – Crossroads has found music to be a draw and once part of the Crossroad’s family teens open up about their problems