The Anchorage Children’s Home has a ribbon cutting, celebrating its new transitional homes

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Anchorage Children’s Home is setting its youth up on a path to success.

Today, the Bay County Chamber along with sponsors and Anchorage staff held a ribbon cutting for a new transitional home program.

The homes will serve as a temporary living space while learning life skills and preparing for adulthood.

The program allows homeless or struggling youth ages 16 to 22 to live there for up to 18 months.

The program has been around for years, but due to Hurricane Michael, housing was in mobile homes and apartments.

Young adults go from what’s known as ‘couch-surfing’ from home to home to earning degrees and finding employment.

Anchorage Executive Director, Joel Booth, said the program makes those in the program better community members and an inspiration to other young adults needing help.

“When a child comes to us, a young person, and completes our program, they leave our agency, our program better community members,” Booth said. “They give back, they’re able to contribute and that’s our goal. Hey, you don’t have to be a doctor, you can do a lot of things in this world...or you can be a doctor too! But you don’t have to be a contributor to give back. And it helps them realize there are so many kids out there that need help, and they can be an inspiration for them as well.”

One home had a unique set of rooms specifically designed to house pregnant women.

After the ribbon cutting, guests toured the houses and got a first-hand look at where the young adults and teens will spend their time during the transitional program.

Booth said the new addition to the Anchorage Children’s Home makes their program complete.

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