A local youth-homeless agency this week announced a new fundraising and awareness-raising initiative focused on its LGBT youth program.
Valley Youth House on Tuesday launched Sheltering Pride, which connects potential donors directly with LGBT youth involved in the organization’s Pride housing program.
Founded in 1973, Valley Youth House offers housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention and intervention services. Its Pride program assists LGBT homeless youth ages 18-21 with short-term rental assistance, one-on-one case management, housing and life-skills education and support with employment and education goals.
It is estimated that between 40-55 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT. A significant proportion of such youth may fall between the cracks, Valley Youth House said, because they are living not on the streets, but on friends’ couches. The Sheltering Pride initiative will put a visual to that idea with several pop-up events that will feature a traveling couch. The organization will also take to social media to raise awareness with the hashtag #CouchesDontCount.
The first pop-up event is between noon-1 p.m. Oct. 7 at Barnes & Noble, 18th and Walnut streets, featuring local author Rachelle Lee Smith. From 3-4 p.m. that day, there will be another pop-up and press conference at Valley Youth House, 1500 Sansom St. From noon-1 p.m. Oct. 8, the initiative will set up at National Constitution Center, Sixth and Market streets, and then at 4:30 p.m. at Woody’s, 202 S. 13th St., with guest DJ Nicole Michalik.