Dear friends,
Today is a day of celebration. Several months ago, I received a call informing me that Fenway Health was going to close Youth on Fire (YoF). Immediately, I reached out to YoF as well as folks at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and the Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA). Along with my Joint Committee on Public Health Co-Chair and co-champion, Senator Julian Cyr, I am excited to announce that the Home for Little Wanderers is the new permanent home and partner for YoF. While this was a stressful few months as we worked to explore appropriate potential partners, it’s exciting to know YoF will continue its work right here in Cambridge with an organization that has a shared driven mission.
Today, I visited Youth on Fire (YoF), located in Harvard Square. I was joined by Senator Julian Cyr, officials from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and staff from the Home for Little Wanderers, along with YoF program director Mandy Lussier, staff, and guests.

“I am grateful for Representative Decker’s longstanding commitment to Youth on Fire and the youth we serve. For over a decade, Rep. Decker has been there when we needed her and, when we found ourselves at risk of closure, she immediately stepped into action and was unwavering in her support. Several times when we have been in danger of closing over the last decade and a half, she has stepped up. I’m appreciative for having Representative Decker here today to listen to youth stories and connect with staff who are on the front lines. We look forward to continue working with her and are already planning another event in the future.” -Mandy Lussier, Director of Youth on Fire
If you don’t know YoF, please consider learning more about them here. Their site provides drop-in services to youth ages 14 to 24 and serves our community's most vulnerable populations, including young people who are unhoused or street-involved. The program connects youth to vital resources such as warm meals, clothing, showers, healthcare assistance, and social services, as well as information related to HIV, STIs, Hepatitis C, and other communicable diseases associated with high-risk behaviors. Their goal is to respond to the basic and urgent needs of unhoused youth while creating safe and supportive relationships and a sense of community.
YoF is an important member of our community, one that I have a longstanding relationship with that I am proud to have developed over the last decade and a half. My relationship and advocacy for YoF started back in my days on the Cambridge City Council: In 2002, I worked hard to introduce YoF to members of the Cambridge community to build deeper relationships within the local, faith, and business organizations in Harvard Square. These community relationships still run deep to this day. While I have both supported and intervened on behalf of YoF over the many years to support their viability, In 2014, YoF’s previous non-profit partner, AIDS Action, attempted to close its doors because of a variety of challenges. I am proud that I was able to convene meetings with our City Manager, Cambridge Police Department, Department of Human Services, and Department of Public Health as strong advocates and community partners to talk about why YoF needed to keep its doors open in Cambridge. Those relationships have continued to blossom and hold strong mutual support for one another. I was proud to have worked with the YoF team then to prevent their doors from closing.



I again intervened in the summer of 2017, when Fenway Health merged with AIDS Action, and funding concerns were brought to my attention. When the threat of YoF closing once again loomed, I stepped in, alongside the newly-elected Senator Cyr, to ensure that did not happen. I worked very closely to bring together the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and AIDS Action to secure funding for Youth On Fire for the next five years.
I also value YoF as a member of a community, one that has modeled what it means to be inclusive and show that everyone — including unhoused young people, young people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community, young people who for a variety of reasons could not stay at home — still has the right to experience joy and support and to be in a community that is safe, free from violence, and provides shelter.
My work with them is deep and longstanding, and I will continue to ensure that young people served by them have their voices heard and know their Representative is engaged with them. I appreciate all of the conversations I have had over the years with many guests who have informed my advocacy. I will continue to cherish the privilege of these relationships while honoring their privacy, and it has been a joy to serve the guests and staff of YoF over the years.
Sincerely,
Marjorie