Alternatives For Girls

Mission: To help homeless and high-risk girls and young women avoid violence, teen pregnancy and exploitation, and help them to explore and access the support, resources and opportunities necessary to be safe, to grow strong and to make positive choices in their lives.

Founded in 1987, Alternatives For Girls (AFG) is a southwest Detroit-based nonprofit organization. We serve homeless and at-risk girls and young women through shelter, prevention, and outreach programs. When a young woman becomes homeless, every moment she spends on the street increases her risk for exploitation and trafficking. We meet girls and women where they are. At Alternatives For Girls, they can access safe shelter, crisis support, and so much more. With this support, girls can stay out of harm’s way, succeed in school, graduate, and become leaders in their communities. Most importantly, they have a safe place to learn and grow.

AFG accomplishes this mission through three key services: AFG Prevention, the AFG Shelter/Transition to Independent Living Program (TIL) and AFG Outreach.

The Prevention Program serves girls ages 4-18 who are at risk of pregnancy, gang involvement, abusing drugs or alcohol and school truancy. We engage them through after-school programs, a teen leadership program, and a summer camp. Our latest program, Strengthening Families, works with entire families to improve communication or health and nutrition in the home.

The Shelter Program provides a stable home, counseling, and life skills training to homeless young women aged 15-21 and their children. The goal is to empower them to lead productive and fulfilling lives.

The Outreach Program helps teens and women engaged in high-risk activities, such as street-based prostitution, drug use, and gang involvement, to understand the risks of such activities and transition to safe choices and healthy lives.

AFG’s Crisis Resource Center connects families and individuals with needed services, both those that AFG can provide along with referrals to other organizations.