Helping Local Teens

We received $20 from Redeemer on the $20 Project Sunday.  We decided to add an additional $100 of our own money making our total $120.  After much thought, we decided to use our money to help local homeless teens through the Cross Walk organization.    We discovered that Cross Walk cares for approximately 450 teens and children per week.  Cross Walk volunteers walk the streets at night giving out small necessities to kids on the street.

We took our $120 to the Union Gospel Mission thrift store to purchase hats and gloves to donate to Cross Walk.  While there, we told the story of the $20 Project to the employees.  Upon hearing of this amazing project, the UGM employees agreed to give us an additional 80 hand-crocheted hats and neck warmers.     After the trip the UGM thrift store, we had $40.00 remaining.  We went to Costco and purchased candy bars and energy bars.

We took all of these items to Cross Walk.  As we were leaving on that cold day, we saw several young teenagers entering.  All of them were cold and none were wearing warm winter clothing.  We felt so blessed to have been able to help such a wonderful organization.

May God continue to open the hearts of the community to keep the vulnerable members of our community warm and well cared for.

Founded in 1985, Crosswalk is an emergency shelter, a school drop-out prevention program, and a group of lifesaving and life-changing programs dedicated to breaking the cycle of youth homelessness. In an average year, Crosswalk serves more than 1,000 youth. Emergency shelter is available 365 days a year and all services are free and voluntary.

Most Crosswalk kids (ages 13-17) have complicated personal histories that include:

• family conflict
• lack of education
• substance abuse
• mental health issues
• high risk for depression and suicide
• sexual abuse or rape
• parental substance abuse

Crosswalk restores hope and encourages personal responsibility among homeless youth, including those who eventually return to their families, by providing:

• family reconciliation services
• clothing, showers and personal hygiene products
• employment-readiness program and job-placement assistance
• independent living training including life-skills and self-sufficiency classes
• attachment and bonding classes for young mother and fathers
• on site Head Start program
• medical and mental-health care
• school drop-out prevention program
• substance-abuse treatment and prevention
• tutoring and enrichment activities
• college scholarship opportunities (donor funded)
• transportation 
• access to our transitional housing programs

Run by a small professional staff, Crosswalk relies heavily on the generosity of churches, service clubs, families and businesses who provide daily meals as well as community volunteers who provide tutoring and enrichment activities and donors who provide financial support, in-kind services and scholarship funds.