Packs for Homeless Teens
Helping Empower At-Risk Teens!
Lack of affordable housing in Josephine County has resulted in many families living in RVs, cars, campsites, shared housing and many other locations resulting in homelessness. In order to lend a helping hand to teens living in these conditions, the JCYF students organized a backpack program.
Helping to support homeless teens, JCYF students came together to fill backpacks with crucial supplies needed to meet survival, safety, and health needs. Students collaborated on a list of supplies that would be the most beneficial, ordering and then organizing these supplies into backpacks. The following items are just an example of some of the provided supplies: bowls, utensils, tarps, flashlights, hygiene products, paper, and pencils.
Thanking JCYF, one homeless teen stated, “My favorite part of the backpack is the bowl. This means that I no longer have to share a bowl with my brother.” This is a reminder that every gesture of kindness holds great meaning for another individual.
Backpack distribution
Locations:
Hidden Valley High School
North Valley High School
Illinois Valley High School
Distributor:
The Family Advocate
Grant:
Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation
Joining forces
In an effort to continue providing backpacks to homeless teens, JCYF students have joined forces with Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Grants Pass for HEART – Helping Empower At-Risk Teens.
This collaboration allows for the volume of backpacks to increase, aiding more teens with school supplies and other basic needs items necessary to help students complete their education.
