Blog - Silicon Valley

Kerry: A Volunteer Making a Difference

April 6 2023

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley is getting ready for their annual 48 Hours event at the end of April. As part of this campaign we interviewed Kerry about volunteering at StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley, her views, stereotypes, hopes, and wishes on homeless youth. Kerry is one of our newest, but truly dedicated and caring faces at StandUp She is not just diving head first into action, raising her hand right away when help is needed, but she is even in the same age bracket of StandUp for Kids’s vulnerable homeless youth population (age 12-24 years old). Since August last year she has been a consistent volunteer, determined to make a ...

We Are All Doing This Together!

October 12 2022

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley What drives people to be devoted, committed and consistent to show up and have a positive impact on homeless youth? Meet Catherine Pham, or Cat for short, a full time working mom of a toddler and our amazing Outreach Coordinator. Cat has been with StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley for over 5 years and volunteers with a lot of patience and kindness. Today she talks about the impact of volunteering and the importance of being consistent. Cat lives by the belief that: “Leave things better than you find them. And the best thing we can do is show kindness! That means that we constantly remind ourselves that people come from different paths and that ...

StandUp for Kids Commits to "48 Hours on the Streets" Campaign to Help Homeless Youth

April 14 2022

Volunteers across the U.S. to meet homeless youth where they are, while raising awareness of the dangers typically faced in the first two days without shelter Atlanta, GA--(PRNewswire)--StandUp for Kids, a national non-profit organization dedicated to ending the cycle of youth homelessness, announced that its "48 Hours on the Streets" public service campaign - an annual event since its founding 31 years ago - will take place from April 22-24. StandUp for Kids hopes this call to action will elevate awareness of youth homelessness and the dangers typically faced in the first two days without shelter, which often include being approached by drug dealers and being lured into ...

Fundraising in the 2nd year of the pandemic: Challenges, Surprises and Hopes

March 21 2022

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley As the second year of the pandemic is ended, we want to look back at 2021, and reflect on the challenges, surprises and hopes of fundraising for those in need. Did you know that StandUp For Kids - Silicon Valley (#SUFKSV) is getting 100% of our funding from people like you? Yes, our nonprofit organization relies on donations from Businesses, like local restaurants donating food Schools, doing drives of needed goods, hygiene kits and small gift cards Individuals, who get items from our wishlist (like underwear) or simply donate gently used clothes and money that is used to pay rent and utilities Even through the many challenges that we faced, ...

The Power of Hugs! The Power of Jeannette!

April 23 2021

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Dr. King once stated, “Life's most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?'” This question is what drives StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley’s volunteer, Jeannette Weederman, to give back every day. Growing up in East Germany, before the wall came down, Jeannette learned the importance of community and helping others from a young age. She began working with underprivileged kids while still in Germany and continued her work when she moved to the United States by volunteering at schools. About 5 years ago Jeannette was looking to do more and she came across StandUp for Kids, “it ...

The Importance and Challenges of Donation Drives For Homeless Youth During The Pandemic

April 1 2021

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Although so many things were different last year, one thing was not... Homeless Youth Need Support! StandUp For Kids - Silicon Valley (#SUFKSV) is completely self-funded and therefore relies on the generosity of our community. Due to the pandemic, our monetary donations were down as we weren't able to have our regular fundraisers or our popular Charity Dinner. But that didn’t discourage us! We restlessly tried to bring in money to continue our fight to #endyouthhomelessness and keep our doors of our Outreach Center “The Village” open to one of the most vulnerable and often overlooked groups: Unaccompanied Homeless Youth. For many ...

We are Inclusive, Diverse and Welcoming. The Village, a Safe Place for ALL!

March 31 2021

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Transgender Day of Visibility (#TDOV) is a day we celebrate transgender and gender nonconforming people among us, raise awareness about the struggles they face, and recognize their resilience and accomplishments. We empower you, celebrate you and Stand Up for you, not only this day, but every day. Thank you Kaine for sharing your story with us and being a part of the StandUp for Kids family in Silicon Valley. Kaine and Mario still both remember the first day they met back in November 2016. It was “Guy’s Day” at The Village, and Kaine ventured into the doors of the outreach center. Mario greeted him, but let him know today there was ...

Looking back at 2020 - A Different Kind of Year

March 18 2021

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Over the past 6 years, StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley has faced many challenges in order to support local homeless youth such as: being evicted right after Thanksgiving in 2019, finding a new location for the Outreach Center, The Village in San Jose, recruiting new volunteers, and constantly raising funds as a nonprofit organization to pay for rent and the services we provide. But never was there a year like 2020, a truly historic year in so many different ways. With more vaccine doses on the way and 2020 behind us, we want to review the importance, successes, growth, and challenges StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley faced last year. First of ...

COVID-19 & the Impact on California’s Homeless Youth

February 23 2021

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Homeless youth are an already under resourced population & with COVID-19, their ability to pave a path forward has become hamstrung, as evidenced in the September 2020 survey of 312 unaccompanied homeless youth, ages 15-25, across California by the California Coalition for Youth (Source: California Coalition for Youth 2021 Homeless Youth Survey Infographic) COVID-19 has compounded the typical concerns of homeless youth with changes in employment, housing, & education. 32% of those surveyed had 3 or more different sleeping locations in the last week. Access to basic needs has become more arduous, with 66% of those surveyed indicating that ...

Eugene Torres: Hero Volunteer

February 10 2021

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Hakuna Matata. We all recognize this Swahili phrase, but have you ever met someone who truly embraces & lives its message? Meet Eugene, our self-proclaimed "old soul" volunteer, who is so humble, that when asked how long he's been with us, he said, "I'm not sure, I don't track or care about those kinds of things." We can confirm he's been a fixture since his college days. Eugene's drive "to escalate [moving] kids off the streets & into stable housing, & elevating them...giving them a foundation" was born out of his strong family ties. They surrounded him with the love, support, & structure that a kid needs to thrive. He says he's one of ...

StandUp and Move Finishes as a Major Success

November 4 2020

StandUp and Move, a national virtual event that took place from October 8 through 12, 2020, attracted 275 participants, 340 donors, and 8 sponsors. After shattering our first goal of $50,000 before the event kicked off, we ended 19% over with proceeds totaling $59,605! As the first event of its kind to end the cycle of youth homelessness, all participants got to choose a time, distance, and location to move. And did they ever: They ran, walked, biked, wheeled, skated,danced, and they cheered others on. Today, thanks to this community of friends, StandUp for Kids is able to face the critical issue of youth homelessness a little bit ...

Join Our Virtual Run/Walk/Bike Event

September 12 2020

The work we do to help homeless youth across the country get back on their feet would not be possible without amazing volunteers and supporters like you. It’s because of your dedication that we have a 30-year history as a nationally-recognized organization fighting to end youth homelessness. To show our thanks, we’ve created a virtual run/walk/bike event that will unite us all together in a safe, healthy way for an important cause. Register or donate today to our first ever virtual nationwide event, StandUp and MOVE, taking place across the country October 8 through 12, 2020. Register to MOVE! This virtual event is like no other. You will ...

Celebrate Peace, Love and Respect with Mario

June 24 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Mario has been a role model for over 5 years with StandUp for Kids – Silicon Valley. With his love for all, his desire to teach, educate, and help cultivate a caring, inclusive environment at The Village, the kids come back over and over again looking for support. He helped build our organization to what it is today. And in celebration of Pride Month, where we celebrate Peace and Love, we share with you Mario and his journey for the need to volunteer. "This time last year I was in New York City celebrating PRIDE month and the 50th Anniversary of the Stone Wall Riots. Never in a million years did I think I would be living ...

No Act Of Kindness Is Too Small: Washington Open Elementary School Spreads Kindness

May 13 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Last year, in spring 2019 Washington Open Elementary School in Santa Clara held their first Community Service Fair on their campus. When the Washington Open Parent Faculty Group (WOPFG) planned the event, Elisha Gariula, President of the WOPFG reached out to StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley to see what may be of use at our outreach center, The Village. Gargiulo explained “Our school is such a supportive, positive place to be and we have the ability to impact our greater community positively as well. We also want our students to know that their small acts of kindness have a huge impact on the community they live in.” She further explained ...

The Impact - Volunteering In Silicon Valley

April 30 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Today, we would like to highlight one of StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley’s longest participating volunteers, Shonal. Shonal was one of the first volunteers to join the Silicon Valley chapter when it opened its doors in 2014, and has since shown nothing short of commitment, compassion, and dedication to the program and its mission. Today, as one of Silicon Valley’s lead volunteers, Shonal continues to volunteer frequently at the Village, our Outreach Center, and advocate for Silicon Valley’s most vulnerable youth. When did you join StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley and why? I joined in 2014, right around the time Silicon Valley ...

Why I StandUp!

April 8 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Meet Kristin Taylor, one of our dedicated, caring volunteers making a difference during these times when our kids are even more at risk with COVID-19. She’s our Director of Community Resources, a constant face at our Outreach Center, The Village and works on her steps while conducting street outreach looking for the most vulnerable, our homeless youth in Silicon Valley. Just about 3 years ago I moved to San Jose after living in Boston my entire life. Shortly after settling in, I wanted to find a volunteer opportunity to get involved in. One fateful day I saw that StandUp For Kids in Silicon Valley was looking for volunteers. I had spent time as a ...

Santa Clara Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Is Helping Local Homeless Youth

March 24 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley If you are raising your kids in our public-school system, you probably heard about or even been an active PTA member. PTA is the link that brings parents and teachers together to strengthen your child's school community. But did you know that they also offer a wealth of support to local nonprofit organizations? StandUp For Kids - Silicon Valley is proud to be one of the beneficiaries that got selected from the Santa Clara Unified Council of PTAs (SCU Council PTA) again. Like last year, our leadership team got invited to receive an "Award of Good Citizenship". Anna Garcia, who is holding the position of the Legislation Chair, said that “the SCU ...

Angel, Once Homeless but Never Forgotten!

March 11 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Angel has been one of our most consistent youth at StandUp for Kids-Silicon Valley. He is incredibly hard working, self-motivated, and has made tremendous progress toward his goal of moving off the streets. With his 25th birthday approaching, the age at which youth “age out” of the Village, Angel took the time to sit down with Caroline and reflect on his experiences with StandUp for Kids-Silicon Valley. When Angel began sharing with Caroline how he first became homeless, he explained that it wasn’t due to any single reason. Rather, his circumstance resulted from a combination of events. By 2017, Angel found himself moving between ...

Our Executive Director Awarded Voluntarism at its Best!

March 3 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley The lovely ladies of the Junior League of San Jose awarded our Executive Director, Michele H., with the award of “Voluntarism at its Best” at their 51st Annual Volunteer Recognition Luncheon. Congratulations! Michele was nominated by Michele Cabania, Director of Outreach Services, to recognize her creative, caring, and charismatic nature where she selflessly goes above and beyond because her core belief that homeless youth deserve a chance at life. Michele was one of the 11 Crystal Bowl winners and during the luncheon was awarded the overall award of “Voluntarism at its Best.” Michele has been the Executive ...

Making a Difference! Meet our Volunteer Caroline.

February 25 2020

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Our volunteers are a life support for our kids. We cannot do what we do without them. We want you to meet Caroline who offers a caring hand to each and every kid that walks through our doors or who she meets when out on street outreach. Dedicated and Determined! Hi! I’m Caroline and I was born and raised in San Jose. I started volunteering with StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley in April 2019, almost a year after I moved home from college. My experiences volunteering with homeless communities throughout high school and college allowed me to recognize the myriad of ways these populations are marginalized, stigmatized, and discriminated ...

Kia Calls For Nationwide Blitz Against Youth Homelessness In Super Bowl Campaign

January 29 2020

News provided by Kia Motors America Kia Teams with Standout Rookie Running Back Josh Jacobs in 60-Second Spot Focused on Overcoming Adversity and Achieving the Impossible Dream Jacobs - who experienced homelessness growing up - gives his "younger self" valuable encouragement and advice For every yard gained during the big game, Kia's "Yards Against Homelessness" initiative will donate $1,000 to three charity partners dedicated to ending the issue of youth homelessness IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- What would you tell a younger you trying to make your way through the world? For Josh Jacobs, who rose from homelessness in middle school to football stardom, it is an inspiring ...

Kia Chooses StandUp for Kids for Big Game Campaign

January 27 2020

Kia Motors America has announced that their Big Game commercial this Sunday will address youth homelessness. What's more, the company has decided to give a major donation to StandUp for Kids and two other organizations caring for homeless youth in America! According to Kia, "This year, with more than 4.2 million young people experiencing homelessness in the U.S., the car company known to 'Give It Everything' will use its big game advertising platform to give back in a meaningful way. For every yard gained during the game, Kia will donate $1,000 to three charity partners dedicated to ending the issue of youth homelessness and transforming the lives of young people in ...

See you in San Antonio

September 22 2019

Starting Friday September 27, the entire StandUp for Kids family -- from outreach volunteers, local leaders, and executive directors, to donors, national board, and staff -- will convene in San Antonio, Texas for mark our 29th year, and partake in one very special National Conference. The theme of this year's conference is "Remember the Mission," evoking the neaerby Alamo Mission's cry. We thought it would be fitting to tie in local roots with our own mission of "ending the cycle of youth homelessness." For the young people we serve, their own plea for independence rings ever so loudly in our ears and mobilizes us to take action. Together at this national conference, we have the ability ...

StandUp for Kids Has a New Look

July 24 2019

After nearly thirty years of serving youth in need, we are thrilled to announce that the StandUp for Kids brand had a makeover! Youth-Centered Our new logo captures the awesome potential of young lives when they know care, feel loved, and have the support they need to move quickly from surviving to thriving. Youth are the heart of our organization, so it was important to convey that. The logo is youth-centered, energetic, and a clever evolution of our former look. Proud to be the Purple People Purple often represents wisdom or creativity. To the youth we serve, it represents safety, care, and support. Our kids often call volunteers the Purple People. Youth know they can trust them to get ...

Street Outreach in Silicon Valley

May 9 2019

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Hardworking, dedicated volunteers hitting the streets early Saturday mornings lead by our team leads Cat & Eric. The dynamic duo works hard to plan a different route each time in hopes to find youth living on the streets. This Saturday was the best outreach yet! Joined by Enoch and Kristin, the sun was shining, the birds chirping and the first person they met was a youth! During a 4 mile route they encountered many encampments along the freeway on/off ramps and were surprised to see some right on McLaughlin Ave. a popular, busy street in San Jose. They ran into many teams cleaning up in the area as there must have been sweeps recently. ...

A Volunteer Determined to Make a Difference

March 12 2019

StandUp for Kids - Silicon Valley Kristin has a heart of gold volunteering diligently with StandUp For Kids, determined to make a difference in the life of homeless youth. She’s a constant face at our Outreach Center, The Village, bringing positive energy, smiles and hope to the 100 kids we see each week. Kristin understands the issues they face and decided to become a mentor to one of our youth who struggles with addiction. She believes in this young man and is dedicated to showing him a caring hand that isn’t going away. Kristin meets with him regularly which goes to show she is in it for the long run. In her meetings, Kristin builds trust so that this young man will soon ...

Busy as a bee: Beautiful Day, Jog-A-Thon and Fundraisers

May 14 2018

The last two weekends in April ended up to be quite busy for StandUp For Kids - Silicon Valley. This year we used the annual "48 Hours Event" to make improvements and renovations to our Outreach Center, The Village. With the endless help and support of "Beautiful Day" (volunteers of West Gate Church), every room got turned upside down with makeovers and updates. The kids came in and loved the organized, bright & 'uncluttered' rooms. Thank you for your hard work, Beautiful Day! This week SUFK - Silicon Valley was honored that Casa di Mir Montessori School picked us as their charity recipient. Our Executive Director, Michele Huntzinger, went to the school and loved the Q&A with ...

Volunteers Making A Difference in Silicon Valley

March 12 2018

Our Outreach Center, The Village, is open 5 days a week, where our volunteers help homeless youth for a couple of hours showing support and lending a caring hand. Mario shares his story of one night making a difference. “I’m currently helping Luis right now try to obtain his birth certificate. We are running into some issues with it and when speaking with him last night he shared with me that he has been running into all these roadblocks and it is making him want to use again. I validated his feelings of frustration and anger as well as expressed support by saying anyone in a StandUp For Kids shirt is here for him if he needs to talk and that he along with everyone ...

Look What We Did Together in 2017

January 25 2018

A year of highlights from Eddy Ameen, PhD, National Board Chair Your support and involvement in our mission has helped make 2017 a standout year for StandUp For Kids. Our central responsibility is to our nation’s young people faced with homelessness, whether temporary or longer term. No matter the circumstances that got them there. No matter the work that needs to be done to help them transition them into safe, stable chapters of their lives. We are deeply humbled by this responsibility, and held fiercely to it through the political tumult of 2017. When some of our youth felt unwelcome, we stood taller to welcome them. In 2017, we worked with over 2,200 youth for the first ...

Homeless, Hungry and Cold in Silicon Valley

November 15 2017

Silicon Valley: Riches all around us. One of the most expensive cities in the US to live in. Over 2500 homeless youth living on our streets. Can you imagine? Our Director of Training, Mario Rocha, took on the adventure of being homeless for four days. Here is his story. I decided to do something that I never thought I would experience in my life. I chose to go homeless for four days. No shelter, no food, no liquids. I did this in order to gain a better understanding of what our homeless youth have to endure day in and day out. I wanted to humanize a dehumanized group. It is one thing to have sympathy because I genuinely want to help, but it’s another thing to know what it ...

Four Award Winners Announced at our 2017 National Conference

October 16 2017

Volunteers, staff, youth representatives, and board members from all across the U.S. gathered in Tucson for our national conference October 6-8, 2017. The conference theme was "Raising A.R.I.Z.O.N.A." for Awareness, Respect, Inspiration, Zero Stigma, Ongoing Support, National Concern, and Attention to the Plight of our Youth. The Tucson program hosted the conference. With input from the Executive Director Advisory Council, the conference featured some tremendous sessions, not only to share best practices and do hands-on outreach, but also to focus on raising leadership capacities and technical skills to meet the complex mental health needs of our youth. An annual tradition at our ...

A Huge Week for One of Our Executive Directors!

September 24 2017

Congratulations to Michele Huntzinger, Executive Director of StandUp For Kids - Silicon Valley, for winning the San Francisco Giants’ Isabelle Lemon Community Spirit Award! "It was a big week for Michele Huntzinger. The San Jose resident and executive director of StandUp for Kids-Silicon Valley was honored as the winner of the San Francisco Giants’ Isabelle Lemon Community Spirit Award on Tuesday during a pre-game ceremony at AT&T Park. The award recognizes a volunteer who exemplifies the commitment to community service and “can-do” spirit of Lemon, a Giants Community Fund board member and former promotions manager for ...

The Struggle is Real!

August 23 2017

Growing up in San Jose wasn’t always easy for Billy. He was born into a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic dad from Guatemala who faced trouble with the law and a mom from Mexico trying to keep a job. His dad was deported in 2010 and the struggles for his family became real. Billy attended high school but with the hardships of his family he became homeless and on the streets away from his mother and younger brother at the age of 18. With his mom facing her own shelter issues with no family support, Billy didn’t want to be an added burden so he didn’t share the struggles with his mom. Homeless and on the streets with his friend Junior since 2013 -- wondering ...

StandUp For Kids - Silicon Valley Recognized by Assembly Member Ash Kalra

June 14 2017

Sunday June 11th Leadership San Jose held an Open House at our outreach center, The Village, that attracted electeds (thanks Ash Kalra and Raul Peralez) and visitors to check out our mission, learn how they can help, volunteer and make a difference. We were honored by the recognition we received from assembly member Ash Kalra for our continued efforts in the fight to end youth homelessness. We are truly grateful for his acknowledgement and kind words for the work we do and our organization. A community that comes together, supports one another, is a community that will make a difference!

June Is Pride Month And SUFK Is Here To Support!

June 11 2017

Meet Carl, a youth that comes to our Outreach Center, The Village. "In my opinion The Village is the very definition of human compassion. When I walk through the door I am greeted with hugs, a warm meal, a chance to clean up, get clothes and wash the ones I have. I know that if I’m struggling I can go to any of the staff who volenteer their hands , ears , eyes and hearts without hesitation so that we may have a chance and they will listen. Everyone is calm and polite, almost always and when things do get out of hand the staff are quick to sort out whatever the issue is. When I first arrived there I was immediately asked what my pronouns were and how ...

Beanies For A Cause

February 27 2017

Thanks to Michele at Lil Red Knitting Hood Street Outreach, the Village receives knitted beanies and scarves to give to our homeless youth. Thank you Michele for your generous and beautifully knitted donations! The kids are going to love these, especially when it’s cold.

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