Senior Vice President, Ben Van Hoose goes “camping” with KKCO and CMU’s Rowdy at Alpine Bank’s Night on the Street.
One out of every four homeless people in Mesa County is
under the age of 18. Currently, there are over 260 homeless youth on our local
streets. In 2012, Karis Inc. was created to try to tackle this issue.
Karis Inc., better known as The House, operates multiple
short-term housing programs to provide homeless youth on the Western Slope with
resources and a safe place to live. The programs focus on moving teens toward
stable, permanent housing and other goals through intensive case management and
support from advocates, volunteers and mentors. Last year, The House provided services to 265
young people in our community who were without homes and without adult
supervision. There are multiple locations throughout the Grand Valley that
house youth of all ages. With very few expectations, these teens are guaranteed
a bed, and with that, a fighting chance to thrive instead of just survive.
For the first time ever, The House hosted a community event
to bring awareness to the issue of youth homelessness in Mesa County. On
September 27, the Alpine Bank Night on the Street Fundraiser kicked off at
Colorado Mesa University with music, games, food and fun! Festivities and
awards were followed by an optional sleep out, where attendees had the chance
to literally SLEEP OUT to raise awareness for these teens in need.
“We love to see our community come together for a good cause,”
says Ben Van Hoose, senior vice president with Alpine Bank Mesa County. “When
kids are on the street with no place to go, we’ve got to take action. Night on
the Street is one way we can bring awareness to the issue, and now is the time
to act. Please consider making a donation or volunteering your time with The House.
This is an amazing organization doing important work.”
If you’d
like to help, The House takes in donations of food, clothing, toiletries, even
diapers for young moms who may have children with them. They are also always
looking for volunteers and mentors. More information can be found at
www.thehousegj.com.