History

Tahoe Youth and Family Services was created in 1971 as a community response to the number of adolescents killed due to drug overdoses. The original name of the agency was Awakening Peace, which was a drop-in center for teens to hang out and receive drug diversion services. In the mid-1970s, the staff of Awakening Peace noticed a trend in the increased number of runaway youth.   The staff applied for federal money from the Department of Health Education & Welfare for runaway youth. The agency was one of 50 demonstration projects in the United States. The goal of the project was to provide shelter to runaway and homeless youth. However, the agency created a vision that family reunification was the more practical solution.   In 1981 the agency changed its name to Tahoe Human Services, and in 1989 changed names again to Tahoe Youth & Family Services.