Safe Children Coalition's Youth Shelter campaign has recently received a major boost, with a leadership gift of $1.5 million - including a $500,000 challenge match to inspire greater giving from the community - from the Roberta Leventhal Sudakoff Foundation. Currently, homeless/unaccompanied youths are being cared for in a temporary facility while the funds for a new Youth Shelter are being raised. There are more than 2,000 teens who are homeless in the 12th Judicial Circuit - which includes Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties - at any given time. The new Youth Shelter is expected to provide nearly 3,000 safe shelter bed-nights a year and serve up to 200 youths annually for many years to come. The Youth Shelter campaign has raised nearly 75% of what SCC leaders expect the facility to cost; additional community support will be crucial to getting the effort over the goal line. It is hoped that the $500,000 challenge match from the Sudakoff Foundation will help SCC as it works to complete the fundraising campaign.