VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) – Stand Up For Kids is fighting an ongoing crisis – youth homelessness.
The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates 4.2 million youth and young adults experience homelessness.
The Hampton Roads chapter of Stand Up For Kids is trying to break the cycle.
Executive Director Nicole Pixler is staying outside for 48 hours to raise $48,000.
“I felt like there was no better way to bring attention to this problem in our own backyard than by me staying outside myself,” Pixler said.
Forty-eight hours is the window of time Pixler said homeless youth are the most vulnerable.
“Within 48 hours, they are more likely to become addicted to drugs or lured into prostitution,” she said.
Within that narrow timeframe, that’s when Stand Up For Kids tries to step up.
“We are trying to be a part of the solution by helping these kids,” Pixler said. “No matter what needs they have we try to provide a solution. We provide wraparound services.”
All of those services cost money, so Pixler is raising money to help fund the mission.
“It can keep the doors of our emergency shelter open,” Pixler said. “It can keep hundreds, if not thousands, of kids fed.”
Pixler is doing it from April 28-30. She is joining Stand Up For Kids volunteers nationwide who are doing the same thing.
Those dates might sound familiar. It’s the highly-anticipated Something in the Water weekend.
Stand Up For Kids is using the extra traffic to its benefit.
“We can also capitalize on some of the tourists that are going to be here,” said Stand Up for Kids volunteer director Mark Stevens. “We are going to have a lot of people coming into town.”
He is challenging concert-goers to bring just a dollar by Zero’s Subs so they can hit the $48,000 goal.
“We want to continue to support these kids and get them into shelters,” he said.
Pixler said you can help in many different ways – donating money, clothes, hygiene products or shoes.
Want to help?
To donate to the Hampton Roads chapter of Stand Up for Kids for the 48 Hours, click here. Be sure to put 48 for 48 in the memo.
For donation drop off or pick-ups, email hamptonroads@standupforkids.org.