WELCOME TO STANDUP FOR KIDS SILICON VALLEY

We are all volunteers and we need your help.

The Silicon Valley Standup for Kids program is the newest program in StandUp for Kids, a national volunteer organization that reaches out to the 1.3 million homeless and street youth in the United States. StandUp for Kids has active programs in 39 cities. We believe there are 2500 homeless and street kids in the Silicon Valley area. These kids aren’t there because they choose to be. They are there because they did NOT receive the kind of support during their youth that most of us did, and have runaway or been kicked out for reasons beyond their control. They all need someone who cares about them, and helps them get their life back on target. The Bill Wilson Center, which has 2 facilities to support homeless youth, see about 1000 of the homeless youth each year. There are many more in need of support.

We tried doing street outreach earlier in the year, and did not find the homeless kids. Now we are starting to work with the school districts and their homeless youth education coordinators, as many of the StandUp For Kids programs have done, and we are starting to find the kids needing our help. We have are creating a new leadership team, as well as a core of volunteers. We have openings for many leadership positions.

Key challenges are completing the staffing of our volunteer leadership positions, completing training for all of our outreach counselors, and acquiring the startup funds we will need to launch the program.

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1. We immediately need $5000 in startup funds to cover office supplies and services (printing outreach cards and resource flyers), storage space, basic supplies for the kids (food, clothing, hygiene products, sleeping bags--some have been donated, but we will quickly need more) and training of outreach counselors. Any contribution is greatly appreciated. Checks should be made out to Startup for Kids Silicon Valley, and mailed to:
   
   

	StandUp for Kids- Silicon Valley
	PO Box 2200
	San Jose, CA 95109-2200



2. We need to fill several leadership positions and multiple volunteer positions. We need your skills in fund raising, public relations, program development, project management, and just plain and wanting to help others. If interested, please send an email to: siliconvalley@standupforkids.org


3. We need contributions in kind of all the basic supplies (food, clothing, hygiene products) listed on our wish list (see link). Please email siliconvalley@standupforkids.org if you can help.

The Search is on. Volunteers NEEDED!
STANDUP FOR KIDS is an all volunteer program, so for us to be there for our homeless kids, we need your help! If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved e-mail us:

SiliconValley@standupforkids.org