Get Involved to End Young Adult Homelessness
- Hannah Hines
- Apr 18, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2024
REFA staff and members volunteering with Breaktime for a supply drive in 2023.
Across the country, local nonprofit organizations are able to fulfill their missions via the valuable support from year-round volunteer opportunities. Boasting a wide range of skills, volunteers assist countless initiatives, helping plan programs and events, raise funds, and engage clients. In exchange, volunteerism allows individuals to deeply connect with their community, develop transferable skills, and meet other passionate people from all walks of life. Volunteering has been shown to reduce stress, increase happiness, and improve mental and physical health. Every April, we celebrate National Volunteer Month as a time to acknowledge the contributions and impact of volunteerism in our local communities.
Volunteers are critical to achieving nonprofit missions. Unfortunately, volunteerism continues to decline. Staffing shortages and disconnection, emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, has challenged volunteer programs. As such, nonprofits must now offer creative ways to engage volunteers with their work.
This April, as we celebrate Volunteer Month, Breaktime is offering opportunities for individuals and organizations to support our mission of breaking the cycle of homelessness among young adults. One such opportunity is our Lunch & Learn program, designed to educate and connect with our community. These one-hour sessions provide an overview of Breaktime's core programs and impact, along with ways to get involved. Whether you choose to attend virtually or in person at Breaktime's office, where a tour is included, you'll gain a deeper understanding of the challenges young adults face while confronting homelessness, and participants emerge empowered to support this cause.
Hosting a supply drive offers a tangible impact to community members. By collecting essential items such as tech gadgets, hygiene products, clothing, and home supplies, you'll directly support young adults working towards secure futures with Breaktime. We'll coordinate convenient pick-up or drop-off for donated items. Corporate partners are invited to visit our offices for a tour, assemble the collected drive item packages, and learn more about our mission and programs.
Breaktime's Young Professionals Advisory Council (YPAC) offers unique opportunities for young professionals to engage with our organization through outreach, engagement, fundraising, and events. YPAC is composed of a powerful team of innovators who are able to cultivate partnerships between Breaktime and the corporate sector, mobilizing resources and maximizing our impact on young adult homelessness.
If you are interested in working directly with young adults at Breaktime, the newest addition to our program, Flight Boosters, is a great option! Flight Boosters are continuous learning opportunities open to all Associates at any stage in our program model. Breaktime runs about one to two sessions per month that range from one to two and a half hours in length. There, we expand upon the topics covered in Launchpad and explore additional topics, including mindfulness, nutrition on a budget, legal rights in the justice system, and tenant’s rights. The topics for Flight Boosters fall into 5 categories: Career Advancement, Financial Wellness, Personal Growth, Creative Pursuits, and Advocacy and Resource Support. Breaktime is seeking volunteers who are experts and/or leaders in their field and are willing to share their knowledge, expertise, and experience with young adult Associates. Please contact Victoria Amico, Training Coordinator, at victoria@breaktime.org to learn more about Flight Boosters!
For more information on any of Breaktime’s volunteer opportunities or to get involved in other creative ways, please reach out to Hannah Hines, Engagement Manager, at hannah@breaktime.org.
Using technology to increase access to youth mental health support may offer a practical way for young people to reach guidance, safe-spaces, and early help without feeling overwhelmed by traditional systems. Digital platforms, helplines, and apps could give them a chance to seek support privately, connect with trained listeners-orexplore resources that might ease their emotional load. This gentle shift toward tech-based support may encourage youth to open-up at their own pace, especially when in-person help feels too heavy to approach.
There is always a chance that these tools-quietly make support feel closer than before, creating moments where help appears just a tap away. Even a small digital interaction might bring a sense of comfort. And somewhere in that space, you…
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