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Dear Friends and Supporters of NYEP,
Was it just me, or did January fly by? It was definitely another busy month, but in a different way. NYEP's Community Living Program has a full house - 6 young adults learning success skills, and going about putting a life together that they can be proud of. Most of you can imagine how challenging that can be, but what do we go and do? - VOLUNTEER to organize and lead Washoe County's first annual homeless youth point in time count (PIT Count)! It was a lot of work, and as it turns out, well worth it.
For the past month and a half, NYEP staff and volunteers have worked like mad people to collect items, market the event, secure a venue, outreach to homeless youth and prepare youth volunteers to facilitate the count by conducting interviews with homeless youth attendees. We certainly couldn't have done it without the support of so many individuals, organizations and businesses who are thanked further down in this newsletter.
The Youth PIT Count was held at the Cal Neva Nevada Hotel on the second floor. Initially when we toured the building we were provided with a small banquet room. Upon arriving to set up there was a problem with the security of the room, and we were moved out into the walk area of the second floor. We were told to use the floor as our room, so we spread out, setting out personal care, hygiene, clothing and food items in an organized fashion on 10 ft tables. We set up a separate art area where there was paint, paper, stamps, magazines, markers, and other creativity supplies, and homeless youth were encouraged to be creative and leave something behind for us to display on a later date.
We began the Youth PIT Count at 12:01am on Thursday, January 26th. There was at least one adult and two youth volunteers for each of the four 6-hour shifts. Between midnight and 10am, approximately 10 homeless youth were interviewed. About 10:45am until 4pm, a majority of the homeless youth were interviewed. After 4pm, only a couple more youth were interviewed but many that had previously been counted returned again and again for many reasons - to get warm, to eat, to do art, to bring a friend there, to talk, to get something they were hesitant to get before.
All in all, the event counted 55 homeless youth. Forty of the fifty five are homeless by HUD's definition, and the other 15 are at high risk of homelessness. Last year's count determined there were 12 homeless youth. We can see the number is much greater than we had initially thought. We also identified pregnant young women, veterans, families and disabled among the homeless youth counted on the 26th. It is NYEP's hope that the need will drive the services. Many of the homeless youth interviewed left the event to sleep outside. It was heartbreaking to not be able to help. One youth there said, "I'm not homeless, I'm shelterless. Home is where the heart is". This was so touching. He has hope, as many of them do. They are waiting for us...
This count has inspired another count in April, 2012. Stay tuned for details!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
- NYEP is now on Gifting Wishes. This is an easy way to track our program needs.
- Past NYEP resident Sarah left for Hawaii on 1/31.
- NYEP graduate Patty returned to University of Virginia from winter break on 1/17. She is applying to be a dorm RA this semester.
- New resident Liliana moved in on 1/11.
- Jazz and Miesha will start new jobs on 2/17.
- New Plato's Closet commercial features NYEP at the end- pay close attention!!
- Alpha Delta Kappa has adopted NYEP for the year, and their first order of business was to bring the residents a bunch of needed hygiene, cleaning and personal care items. This generous gift will help offset shopping costs. Thank you ADK!!
EVENTS
- NYEP's Board of Directors met on 1/24. Please welcome new board members Beth Heinrichs and EJ Maldonado.
- New HYTS (Housing for Youth in Transition to Self-Sufficiency) met on 1/4.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- NYEP staff, residents, supporters and partners worked together to make the Youth Point In Time Count a success. We were able to count and assist 55 youth in need in our community in one day.
- NYEP residents and staff had a great time volunteering at Homeless Connect on 1/31/2012.
- NYEP residents have been learning to knit with volunteers Clair, Cindy and Dana.
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Charitable Giving vs. Strategic Philanthropy: Getting the MOST Impact from Your Generosity
Sent In by: NYEP Supporter Jim Joseph
I don't believe that I go to far in saying that the days of the "charitable gift" are quickly fading and instead are being replaced with the concept of a "philanthropic investment".
When we look at other areas of personal finance, such as retirement planning or educational savings. we examine with great detail the history, performance and costs inherent to different funds and provides not to mention the character of the organizations in which we invest. Our hopes in doing so are to ensure that our investments of both trust and resources are well stewarded and that are personal financial objectives are met with the maximum of success and efficiency. As I have met with different members of the Vanguard Charitable community over the past five years, I have been intrigued by the fact that people are increasingly telling me why the charity they wish to support is a "good investment.
Their terminology is indicative of a major change of thought. Often I would hear people simply say "they do good work." There is nothing wrong with the use of such characterizations; however, to speak of a charity as being a "good investment" points to a depth of research and knowledge that can only lead to greater competition and efficiency in the philanthropic market place, and (hopefully) an increased benefit to charitable causes.
When counseling individuals who are considering different methods of giving, I am often asked how one might best look at all the variables involved in strategic philanthropy. I share with them an acronym I have developed that serves as a reminder of four different qualities for efficient giving. I refer to this as the "MOST" analysis: as everyone wants to have the MOST impact as as they manage their philanthropy.
METHOD - "Method" refers to how one gives. There are many vehicles that can be used for giving - foundations, trusts, annuities, donor-advised funds. However, each serves various needs and all are subject to different taxes, rules and regulations that can greatly influence how much the impact of your support has on your preferred charitable projects.
ORGANIZATION - "Organization" can refer to both the financial intermediaries through which one gives as well as the charities that they wish to support. Simply put, does the organization have a good performance record and do you trust them as a true fiduciary with the ultimate concern for you as the client and the philanthropic mission? Do their operations, leadership and cost structures reflect such priorities?
SUCCESS - Is the charity, to which you plan to give, able to demonstrate hard evidence of success? If they are providing vaccines or clean water, can they provide reliable data as to exactly how many vaccines were administered over a certain period or how much clean water was provided? Are the claims measurable? Objective? Independently Verified?
TIME - Are the results of the charity has produced sustainable over time? We all have seen the ground swell of responses that follow natural disasters and the investment that is made in charities immediately following such events. Yet, will your support be efficiently used to address long term and create lasting?
I hope this MOST analysis helps you as you examine your methods of giving. I encourage you to be bold in investigating such factors as you are not only advocating for your investment, but ensuring that the needs of all those served by the receipt organization are met with a degree of efficiency, and result in the "MOST" impact
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Put Some FUN In Fundraising
 We don't receive any state or government funding so we rely on the generosity of people like you!! Whether you are one person or a whole company, the possibilities of helping us are endless.
Fundraisers matter because they let the community get to know us, they offer everyone a chance to contribute to and support our mission and they help our NYEP family grow by recruiting new members, supporters and donors.
We want to start 2012 off with a bang, We challenge you to get involved and get creative while fundraising for NYEP!! Not only to raise funds but to let the community get to know us and of course have fun!!
We know that you want to help, so we have come up with some ideas here to get you started with your own NYEP fundraiser. If all else fails, throw a party!! Just don't forget to invite us!! If your not a party person and don't have a lot of time to get out, consider creating an online fundraising page with Stay Classy to support NYEP. Throw a "Night Off Party" where people donate to not show up. If you want to get started fundraising and need help, call us! We are here to help you!! |
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Nine Ways to Show Love Everyday
Feeling loving and loved is a good thing, even when it is not Valentine's Day. Make yourself and the one's you love feel loved EVERYDAY!!
Here are Nine Ways to Show Love Everyday:
- Actively LOOK and LISTEN to those you love. Show love by listening and respecting the ones you love.
- SHOW AND TELL!! Let yourself be heard, communicate how you feel to those you love in a respectful way, allow them to hear you and ask questions.
- SMILE!!
- BREATHE. Focus on your breathing, breathe in and out and take long slow breathes. If you are relaxed and calm that will help other people feel that way too.
- RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE!! When you first wake up in the morning, take some time to recognize and appreciate the good things in your life.
- REFLECT!! Are there situations that you could change to make yourself feel better? What are they and what could you do?
- CONSIDER CHANGE!! Try a different perspective. Does the voice in your head hold you back sometimes. Try something different.
- LOVE AND BE LOVED!!Let those you love know you care for them, and that you know they care for you too.
- DON'T KEEP TABS!!Always remember that love has no price tag.
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7 Ways to Lend a Hand
Taken from: Abbi Public Relations Inc., Blog
We live in a society where money and time are highly valued and difficult to part with. Simultaneously charities are in need of contributions. At Abbi Public Relations, we believe that it is our civic duty to make a difference, and though we cannot give money every time, we have found that lending a hand isn't limited to giving a dollar.
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THANK YOU
We would also like to thank a few of our generous funders who make contributions throughout the year. Their contributions make NYEP's mission possible.
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Point In Time Count: Recap
 On January 26th, for a 24 hour period, NYEP staff and residents participated in the annual Point in Time Count for youth. Volunteers worked in shifts at the Cal Neva Nevadan Hotel, gathering information from 55 youth, ages 18 - 24, who do not have a regular place to live. Unfortunately, 40 of the youth met the federal standard for homelessness. Hopefully, this information will influence funding decisions for the homeless services in Northern Nevada. We would like to extend a huge thank you to all volunteers and donors who helped make the event possible. |
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THANKS!!!
We would like to thank everyone that generously donated their time and resources to make the 2012 Youth Point In Time Count a success.
A Salon 7 Ashley Crow Beth Heinrichs Briendra Salas - Safe Place Cal Neva Nevadan Hotel Children's Cabinet Cindy Ringer - NYEP Cynthia Carstairs - Children's Cabinet Dana Shoenhard Dirian Ramirez FOX 11 Hillary Schieve Jacque Bland - NYEP Janinna Goodwin - NYEP Jazz Perez - NYEP Jeanine Moreland - NYEP Jen Garrick Jill Wallace Kari Earle Kate McGee Kelly Marshall KOLO 8 KRNV 4 KTVN 2 KUNR Marcus Chavis - Safe Place Meredith Tanzer Miesha Mack - NYEP Monica Ayala - Washoe County School District Monica DuPea - NYEP New HYTS Leadership Board Nina Shapey - NYEP NNHOPES Peter Marshall Port of Subs (Smithridge) Samantha Boatman Sarah Schembri Sebastian Casas SEI Shannon McCoy - Washoe County Social Services Stacey Rice Tara Anderson Walgreen's (N. Virginia) WILD 102.9
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BIG Thanks!!!
Jim Joseph funded the purchase of $300 worth of incentives for our Token System. The residents selected movie passes, Port of Subs and Subway cards. Jim also sponsored NYEP residents to go eat family style. We all really love going out together but can't do it often because of the cost. It had been a year since we all went out together. Thank you Jim!
One more! Mr. Joseph also made it possible for a couple residents to buy necessary clothing items. Many times if NYEP cannot get it donated, it is impossible to accommodate specific requests, some of which are necessary items. Thank you Jim for your care and generosity!
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International Women's Day is March 8, 2012
Sponsor an NYEP Resident to a night of education and empowerment!!!
International Women's Day originated in 1908 as a labor rights movement in the U.S. and quickly spread across Europe and beyond. Today, March 8 is the day when women from Afghanistan to Zambia hold events to inspire women and celebrate their achievements.
This year's theme:"Women's Education, Women's Empowerment - Women in Non-traditional Roles"
This event will be held at the Harrah's Auto Museum on March 8, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. -10:00 p.m. Guest will enjoy an evening of cocktails and hors d'oeuvres with a women's history scavenger hunt among the exhibits, live music, dancing and Chautauqua performances.
Guests will also hear from a panel of prominent female leaders about how opportunities have changed for women since the passage of Title IX in 1972. Tickets are $65 - includes admission to the Museum, a free drink, a tantalizing array of appetizers and desserts and live music for dancing at the end of the program.
NYEP would love for our residents to attend this educational and empowering event that also supports a good cause, proceeds support college scholarships for Northern Nevada women. Please call Monica at (775) 240-2195 for more information about this event or if you would like to sponsor an NYEP resident to attend.
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Some Food for Thought: Harm Reduction for Youth
Sent In by: The United States Interagency Council on Homlessness
Harm reduction is a model that has been very successful helping youth experiencing homelessness gain stability and direction. Using harm reduction for youth requires adapting the model to develop a youth appropriate intervention focused on positive development.
Read More
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Find Us on Gifting Wishes
Looking for more ways to connect with us? NYEP is now on Gifting Wishes.
Gifting Wishes website was created to post, promote, and transact charitable wish lists in a safe, convenient, and transparent manner. The site was designed and managed through a collaborative partnership between YourVolunteers and NPcatalyst, two Reno, Nevada based social good companies.
Take a minute to browse the site and become more familiar with NYEP and other outstanding community organizations and the tools they desire to held meet deserving community needs. .
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Contact Us:
NYEP
2030 W. 6th Street
Reno, Nevada 89503
(775) 747-2073
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