| STANDUP
FOR
KIDS
AND SETON HOUSE UNITE FOR CHILDREN
STANDUP FOR KIDS, Hampton
Road’s is unique in that, in addition to conducting
street outreach every week, we partner with a local
agency, Seton House, in running a drop-in center called
The Crow’s Nest for runaway, homeless
and at-risk teens through the age of twenty-one.
Since 1999 STANDUP FOR KIDS has partnered
with Seton House, who runs a girls and boys home for
teens, to collaborate with us to host a "Drop-In
Center" for troubled teens. STANDUP FOR KIDS and Seton
House originally co-hosted a drop-in center at a local
church to offer counseling, food, drink, information
and referrals. Today, the services have expanded
and the drop-in center is now at “The
Crow’s Nest” which is across from and
owned by the United Methodist Church on 18th Street
and Pacific Avenue at the Oceanfront of Virginia Beach.
The Crow’s
Nest is open on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 PM
to 11:00 PM in the winter and an additional night
during the summer months. It is our hope that
with additional volunteers and funding we will soon
be able to provide help to the children on additional
nights as well as eventually during the day.
STANDUP FOR KIDS and Seton House representatives offer a myriad of services and
support such as counseling, help with education and
employment needs, shelter, referrals, advice, food,
drinks and lots of friendship and unconditional love.
Additionally, we join together at the center to host
holiday get-togethers for the kids, outings, and a
yearly celebration to honor our volunteers, Seton
House staff members, our sponsors and contributors.
Together we are confident we provide the stability
and support that is critical in helping these youth
survive and prosper.
In
addition to The Crow’s Nest, STANDUP FOR KIDS continues to “walk the streets” to provide assistance
to the kids on the street while spreading the word
about the center. Not all of the kids we meet
on the streets will come to the center so we provide
food packages, hygiene products, first aid supplies,
blankets, clothes, and a listening ear directly to
the kids on the street.
There
are so many things that the counselors on the streets
and in the center provide, that cannot be categorized.
Simply put, we are a shoulder for our young
children to lean on in times of need. Often
times, a child will come into the center, week after
week, just for something to eat and a bit of social
activity. Every week, this young person will
begin to open up to a counselor and let us know of
his or her distress. Through a simple act of
listening we provide the most powerful help.
STANDUP
FOR
KIDS – Hampton Roads In Action
STANDUP FOR KIDS–
Hampton Roads has been very busy! We have hosted
many fundraising events, such as a hygiene drive,
wish list donation drive, a book bag drive, a flea-market/volunteer
recruitment drive and a car wash as evident by this
picture of some of our volunteers in action…
We have been busy with
our recent STANDUP FOR KIDS/Seton House Crow’s Nest celebration where we thanked all
of our STANDUP FOR KIDS volunteers, Seton House Staff, sponsors and contributors for
all of the great things they do for the kids.
STANDUP FOR KIDS and Seton
House presented a Certificate of Thanks to Mr. Ted
Clarkson, Executive Director of The Virginia Beach
Foundation whom is one of our major benefactors.
The Virginia Beach Foundation is a publicly supported
philanthropic institution serving the Virginia Beach
community and their neighbors.
We have also managed
to provide over 72 hours of training for new volunteers,
and most importantly be there for our kids by walking
the streets and providing a safe and nurturing environment
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