The fluorescent lights in the unremarkable offices of San Diego Youth Services in Loma Portal flicker. After that, they shut down entirely, leaving Walter Philips, who retired on June 30 after serving as the CEO of the social service provider for 25 years, backlit by the afternoon light.Then they pop back on a second later.
Philips jokes that he’s been fired while sitting in a coworker’s office. He has created space for Jonathan Castillo, the new CEO, who will oversee a $33 million operating budget and the mission of providing 14,000 at-risk adolescents with resources including food, shelter, transitional housing, job training, and mental health care each year.
At the beginning of his career, Philips had no plans to take over as SDYS’ CEO.
He worked for charity organizations that supported youth and family mental health after graduating with a master’s degree in social work from San Diego State, which he claimed was his passion.
The former CEO of SDYS, with whom Philips was on a board during those years, informed him that a post was becoming available.
Philips said he thought it sounded fantastic when the departing CEO described what the company did.
It’s been the best choice I’ve ever made for my career, Philips said, adding that I was fortunate enough to get employed 25 years ago after throwing my hat in the ring. In terms of our mission, values, culture, and services, it has been a perfect fit.
According to Philips, his perspective on youth homelessness was influenced by a meaningful discussion he had with Father Joe Carroll, the namesake of the homeless care agency Father Joe’s Villages.
According to Philips, Carroll informed him that pimps, drug dealers, and other abusers compete with service providers like SDYS for children who spend their first night on the streets.
Philips stated that we must first remove those children off the streets. because being homeless puts them at a greater risk for all of those things.
According to Philips, he developed connections with the more seasoned CEOs of SDYS’s partner agencies early in his career.
According to Philips, I partnered with them, we formed relationships, I met with them frequently, and I gained knowledge from them. Additionally, I was a lot younger than I am now.
According to Philips, SDYS was the only organization in San Diego offering services specifically targeted at youth homelessness for a long time.
According to him, this was due to the organization’s relatively low funding levels before 2017, when the majority of its funding came from funds from the Federal adolescents Service Bureau that were meant to house foster adolescents into adulthood, shelter youth, and engage in street outreach.
According to Philips, things changed in 2017 when San Diego was selected as a pilot city for a nationwide project called the Voices of juvenile Count to better understand juvenile homelessness.
According to the study’s findings that year, LGBTQ youth had double the likelihood of experiencing homelessness compared to their peers, and 1 in 10 young adults nationwide had been homeless in some capacity during the course of a year.
The LGBTQ Safe STAY Wellness Center is operated by SDYS in collaboration with the San Diego LGBT Community Center and the YMCA. It connects young adults with case managers and offers them assistance and shelter.
Eleven young adults have benefited from the wellness center’s assistance in effectively relocating to independent dwelling as of 2024.
“Throughout his career, Philips has been a fierce advocate, a steady presence, and a source of hope for young people who need someone in their corner,” said Beth Davenport, COO of the San Diego LGBT Community Center.
According to Davenport, his work has transformed lives not only by implementing policies or programs but also by demonstrating heart, integrity, and a strong belief in the value of every young person.
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Davenport claims that Philips’ influence has been incalculable.I have personally benefited from Walter’s mentoring and advice. “My path, as well as the paths of many others, including our clients at the San Diego LGBT Community Center, have been shaped by Walter’s wisdom, kindness, humor, and unwavering belief in doing what’s right,” Davenport said. I would like to express my gratitude to Walter as he retires.
Roughly 82% of SDYS’s yearly spending were allocated to program costs, 16% to administrative and general expenses, and 2% to fundraising, according to the organization’s most recent annual report from 2023.
The organization operates under what Philips refers to as a “no wrong-door philosophy,” which ensures that young adults and youth always receive the resources they require.
According to Philips, there is a sense of urgency in tackling teenage homelessness since every night that a young person spends couch surfing or on the streets increases the likelihood that they would end up in a difficult circumstance.
He claimed that people want to change the world and care about SDYS, which is why they volunteer and work there.
According to Philips, they wish to make a difference in ensuring that young people have a better future and the chance to thrive. That s why I m here.
