CHARLOTTE, N.C. - In the basement of a church off The Plaza, youth from all over Charlotte and beyond gather to hang out, talk, read and protect themselves. It is "Time Out Youth," or “TOY” a place for kids who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. "I definitely feel like I have more confidence,” says 15-year-old Loan Tran. She started coming to TOY about a year ago. She's noticed not only more people joining, but also who's joining, saying, "When I started coming here, there were more high school seniors and college students. But now I've seen more high school students coming,” says Tran.

"One of the biggest reasons youth come here is to be with other people like them,” says Steve Bentley. He is the executive director of TOY. He says usually, two or three new kids join every month. But since September, 68 kids have joined. He says it may be cause, "They (kids) come out earlier and they're more open than they were a number of years ago."

They also know more about the program. It's got a growing presence online and local schools are referring more students. TOY provides counseling, crisis intervention and emergency housing. It also gives kids like Vaughn Green a sense of belonging. He says, "My parents didn't really understand, sexuality wise, and I came here for people to talk to." Green says his mentors at TOY also did something CMS could not: it inspired him. "Before Time Out Youth, my grades weren't always great, but I guess knowing I have the support here, it boosted me up a lot at school."

Time Out Youth has been in Charlotte since 1991. It's for kids ages 13 to 23. They rely on donations and volunteers.