Hooksett, NH PROCON is a sponsor of the 9th annual SleepOut 2023, presented by Waypoint, a human service/children’s charitable organization in New Hampshire.
SleepOut is an annual event that helps raise awareness and funds to support youth who are experiencing homelessness.
Before March 24, the night of the SleepOut, people register as individuals or teams, set fundraising goals, and recruit others to join in and donate. Waypoint’s fundraising goal this year is $450,000, which will support their youth services in the state, including the new drop-in centers in Manchester and Rochester, community outreach in Concord, and an overnight emergency shelter in Manchester.
PROCON has been supporting Waypoint for over 40 years and has been a sponsor of the SleepOut for nine years.
“Confronting youth homelessness in New Hampshire is a community-wide effort,” says Waypoint’s president and CEO, Borja Alvarez de Toledo.
“We are so grateful for support from organizations like PROCON as it enables us to serve as a lifeline to more youth across the State and provide essential services to contribute to their long-term stability. Together, we will bring more New Hampshire youth closer to home.”
Headquartered in Manchester, Waypoint is a private nonprofit that offers a vast array of services across the State, including parent education/family support, services for children with developmental or chronic health conditions, childcare, mental health counseling, family preservation, supervised visitation, foster care, a continuum of services for youth experiencing homelessness, home care for seniors and adults with disabilities, and advocacy. Waypoint is the only non-profit offering a full continuum of services that address youth homelessness in New Hampshire.
Jen Stebbins Thomas, PROCON’s managing director and Waypoint board member, said, “I am passionate about helping New Hampshire youth experiencing homelessness. I am so proud and inspired by the incredible work Waypoint has done to conceive of and build three new physical spaces to support these young adults:
- A brand new overnight shelter with 14 beds in Manchester (the first of its kind in the state).
- A new drop-in center supporting youth on the Seacoast in Rochester.
- A new drop-in center supporting youth in Concord.
The 14 Manchester shelter beds have been full every night since the 4th day after opening in October 2022. There are regularly more than 30 youth in the lottery for 14 places to sleep each night.
This year, we’re dedicating our sleepout funds to the ongoing operating expenses of running these invaluable community resources. The cost of overnight staffing, utilities, food, and supplies all adds up – but we can help!” said Stebbins Thomas
Please consider donating to this very worthy cause.
To learn more about Waypoint’s SleepOut 2023, visit https://waypointnh.org/sleepout2023