SAN ANTONIO – A critical lifeline for San Antonio’s most vulnerable young adults is fraying as severe budget cuts ripple through city services. SA Youth, a nonprofit dedicated to helping disconnected youth earn their high school diplomas, reports that it is currently operating in “survival mode” as it struggles to meet skyrocketing demand with a fraction of its required funding.
Maria Benavidez, President and CEO of SA Youth, revealed that the organization received only 10% of the funding necessary to operate its signature program, “See Our Achievements Rise” (SOAR), for the current fiscal year. The funding shortfall stems from the city’s broader efforts to bridge a massive $158 million budget deficit, which has resulted in the tightening of belts across various community-based organizations.
Launched in 2021, the SOAR program targets young adults between the ages of 16 and 24 who have fallen out of the traditional school system and are disconnected from the workforce. Estimates suggest that approximately 35,000 San Antonio residents in this age bracket currently fall into that category. What began as a modest pilot project with just 10 students has ballooned into a robust initiative that currently graduates 120 students per year.
However, success has brought significant logistical strain. With limited resources, SA Youth is now facing a waitlist of up to 250 prospective students, a testament to both the program’s effectiveness and the overwhelming need in the community.
To cope with the financial drought, Benavidez has made the difficult decision to protect class sizes for students while cutting back on internal staffing. The impact has been felt most acutely in the program’s mental health support services. Following the expiration of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding, the organization was forced to reduce its therapeutic staff from four full-time positions to a single part-time therapist tasked with supporting 40 students simultaneously.
Despite the instability, Benavidez remains steadfast in her commitment to the program’s holistic mission. “We are in survival mode constantly,” she said. “But will we walk away? Absolutely not. We will find a way because there is a need and these students need us.”
As the organization pivots, Benavidez is calling on the community to help fill the gap. SA Youth is aggressively seeking support from private foundations and individual donors, noting that even small contributions are vital for sustainability.
As the nonprofit looks toward its next intake, interviews for the January cohort are scheduled to begin in November. To qualify for the free program, applicants must reside in Bexar County, be between the ages of 16 and 24, and have completed at least one high school credit before leaving the traditional school system. For now, the future of the program rests on the organization’s ability to patch its budget while keeping its doors open for the hundreds of young people waiting for a second chance.
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