The Transitional Housing Program Offered by 360 Youth Services

An accomplished business leader with over three decades of experience in the store design and merchandising sector, Ted Gladson of Chicago, Illinois, was the president and founder of Gladson Interactive. Dedicated to helping his local community, Ted Gladson supports several organizations in the Chicago area, including 360 Youth Services.

One of the many programs maintained by 360 Youth Services is its Transitional Housing Program, which serves men between the ages of 18 and 24 and women and members of the LGBTQ community between the ages of 18 and 21 who are homeless.

The initiative consists of housing as well as services to help improve life skills, employment, and education for participants. Most individuals are part of the program for 18 to 24 months, during which time they live at apartments in Naperville and Lisle that are part of 360 Youth Services’ transitional housing options.

Individuals in the program are assessed to determine their specific needs and given a contract that details expectations for apartment maintenance, schooling, use of support services, and curfew. During the course of their involvement with the Transitional Housing Program, residents work with trained staff members to improve their life skills and work towards self-sustainability.

Since 1971, 360 Youth Services has been helping young individuals navigate life’s challenges through counseling, substance abuse prevention education, and housing options.

Shelf Merchandising Strategies

An entrepreneur and pharmacist in the Chicago area, Ted Gladson is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy. Over the course of his career as president of Gladson Interactive (known as Gladson), Ted Gladson has worked with retail pharmacies and other stores nationwide to improve their operations and boost their sales, specifically through shelf merchandising. 

Retail store owners can enhance the customer experience and drive sales by implementing a well-planned shelf merchandising strategy. Part of a successful strategy entails the use of shelf labels. Labels should clearly identify products and include pricing and pictures of the products. This strategy not only improves customer satisfaction but also streamlines the restocking process. 

Another strategy to improve shelf merchandising is to improve shelf re-stocking. Retail store owners should avoid out of stocks which lead to lost sales and customers. With inventory software, retailers can maintaining adequate merchandise levels and avoid over and under stocked shelfs and thereby maximize sales.