Hope in a Season of Change

In this season of change, it may seem that we are united by the similar struggles we face. However, it is easy to forget that homeless youth are in situations that are foreign to many of us. Basic needs are stripped away, shelters are lost, and food is hard to come by. In these times, we are still so thankful that we are bringing hope to homeless youth through the changes.

Earlier this month, we asked our case managers to reach out to our youth to hear the stories of their lives during the pandemic. Below is the story of one youth, *Sierra.

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“I was able to meet with Sierra. According to Sierra, this global pandemic has been “crazy.” She laughed as she reflected on the last two months, but she made comments regarding the difficulty of being isolated with two young children. Sierra is a mother of two, a 3-month-old and a one-year-old.

Today, Sierra expressed gratitude for the ability to use the Outreach Program center to do her laundry. Over the last two months, Sierra experienced the financial burden of doing laundry for her and her children. She is currently unemployed, but hopeful, and she is excited to start CNA classes on May 26th.

Though Sierra described the last two months as being “crazy” she saw the silver-lining due to the fact she was able to move into her new place during the month of April. Sierra described her home as “just a one-bedroom,” but she has extreme gratitude to have a place to stay.

Sierra is thankful for Outreach and her experience there. She indicated that she stopped coming for a while because there was another youth who also came to the center that she did not like. Sierra stated, “I realized I had to be the bigger person,” and she realized the resources at Outreach are more important than her personal problems with another youth.

As Sierra washed clothes, she was able to go through the storage bin that had been stored at Outreach through the pandemic. From the storage bin, Sierra reviewed letters, photographs, important documents, and clothing. Without Outreach, she would not have been able to keep important documents, precious memories (photographs, cards letters), and personal belongings, and her children’s belongings. Now that the center is open with more resources, Sierra will continue to connect with laundry and food services as needed.”

*Name changed for privacy purposes.

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Hope in These Times – Williams Comfort Air Matching Campaign

Even in these times, we are so thankful for our community partners that join us in bringing hope to homeless youth. From the months of June – August, Williams Comfort Air has graciously offered to match up to $15,000 of funds raised by Outreach.

"Being able to help and positively-impact homeless and disadvantaged youth is very important to our company. Outreach needs an opportunity to thrive, and they can be our next business and community leaders if given the opportunity."

- Matt Tyner, Williams Comfort Air

We are honored to partner with this incredible organization, and we are thankful for their generosity. All of the funds raised will go towards helping us better serve and provide for our youth, bringing them hope.

Would you help us provide additional resources to homeless youth? To give financially and help us raise $15,000, click here. Thank you for being a blessing to our youth!