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Who We Serve

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Identity serves 10,000+ youth and families each year, benefiting around 50,000 residents who live in high poverty areas of Montgomery County.  

​​​​​The youth and families in our programs demonstrate tremendous resilience in the face of adversity, including: 

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  • Disproportionate Adverse Childhood Experiences

  • Unstable housing 

  • Lack of health insurance 

  • Food insecurity 

  • Language barriers 

  • Transportation barriers 

  • Intergenerational poverty ​​​

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 Programs and services aim to help families overcome challenges like limited formal education, disproportionate childhood traumas and financial instability.  Identity is dedicated to interrupting the intergenerational cycle of poverty. For more insights about those we serve, as well as program outcomes that demonstrate how we are making a difference and helping youth and families fulfill their highest potential, see our latest Annual Evaluation Report.

Our community

Our Community

Montgomery County, Maryland is home to some of the most diverse cities in the nation. 

 

Montgomery County Public Schools are now 35.2% Latino, 21.6% African American, 13.7% Asian and 23.9% White.

Their future is our future.

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Identity’s primary goal is to open doors of opportunity for youth, families, and communities with the most need so they can reach their full potential and thrive socially, emotionally, academically, and in the workforce. We focus on in-school and out-of-school youth and their families living in Montgomery County’s highest-poverty neighborhoods, where risks for poor life outcomes are greatest.

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Identity youth often face serious challenges, including poverty, inadequate health care and lack of parental supervision because their parents are working long hours or multiple jobs. These difficult life circumstances can lead to poor outcomes such as low academic achievement and truancy; teen parenthood; underemployment and unemployment — situations that severely limit young people’s options and opportunities. 

At the same time, the youth we serve bring powerful rooted in their families, cultures, and lived experiences: strong bonds with caregivers and community, pride in who they are, a deep desire to succeed, and remarkable resilience in the face of hardship.  Identity addresses challenges by building on these strengths and emphasizing skills that support the welbeing of youth and families across all aspects of their lives.

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Success Stories

Success Stories

We are very proud of each of these inspiring people, and we thank them for sharing their personal stories. 

 

The youth served by Identity’s programs have typically endured situations and setbacks early in life that many adults would find overwhelming. The stories featured here bring some of those challenges to life. They also demonstrate how eager and determined our youth can be to create a better future for themselves and others — and how much they can achieve when we provide support, guidance and opportunities. 

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Part of the Identity family, then and now… 
Over the years, a number of youth and parents who were once Identity clients later joined our staff. Explore their inspirational stories. 

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