Kaitlyn Mackey spends a lot of time catching up with people.
Mackey, an outreach worker for Bethlehem-based nonprofit Valley Youth House, hits the streets of Lancaster at least once a week to help young adults experiencing homelessness. She brings along water bottles, bags of chips and business cards in the hopes of keeping in touch with the people she meets.
It’s common for young people to fall off the radar of service providers like Mackey. According to the Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authorities, 76% of young adults ages 18 to 25 who engaged with homeless services in 2023 disappeared from the system without a trace…