“The earth has music for those who listen”
– Reginald Vincent Holmes
For more than 21 years, Doors of Change has placed over 2,600 homeless youth in safe housing and helped them attain self-sufficiency. The mission of Doors of Change is to act as advocates to support homeless youth ages 17-25 and provide access to the resources they need to improve their quality of life. Trained professionals and volunteers from Doors of Change comb the streets and beaches of San Diego, engaging with young people who appear to be homeless, or at risk of homelessness. Youth are treated with dignity and without judgment. As the Grant Manager at Doors of Change, Melissa Jaclyn Flores helps raise funds to ensure rapid care of homeless youth who are looking for a way off of the streets.
#1 I am a native San Diegan, born and raised.
#2 I like to travel to just about anywhere in Mexico because it is easy to get to and has great food and culture.
#3 I would like to visit: the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Machu Picchu in Peru, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Ideally, I would like to visit every country in the world at least once, including Antarctica. Currently, I am at 18 of 195 countries.
#4 “Raiders of the Lost Ark” is my favorite movie.
#5 I recently read The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller and would highly recommend to anyone that enjoys Greek mythology or romance novels.
#6 I have a golden retriever mix named Harrison.
#7 I truly believe that the best way to achieve one’s own goals is by helping others. Humans are social creatures, and we need each other to succeed and create joy.
#8 As someone who grew up in San Diego and has witnessed the increasing homeless population, I wanted to find a job that focused on helping this community and making a difference in people’s lives. After learning about the wonderful work that Doors of Change has done over the years for unhoused youth, I could not help but want to get involved.
#9 Doors of Change focuses on meeting the youth we serve where they are and providing them with the best resources that will allow them to move away from homelessness. We believe that the services we offer must be client-centered, with the goals for each participant identified by them, not us.
#10 Money raised from the Concert of Hope will support our Homeless Youth Advocacy Program. Last year, through this program we were able to help 788 youth, including helping 349 find safe housing.
Doors of Change
“Concert of Hope”
Featuring 3-Time Grammy Winner Ben Harper with special guest, Whitney Shay Band
Saturday, September 9
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
UCSD’s Epstein Amphitheater
9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego 92093
