Overnight stay for the homeless | News, Sports, Work

(Photo by Brett Dunlap) Brenda Myers and Lisa Doyle-Parsons of Circles of the Mid-Ohio Valley complete their display during the ninth annual Parkersburg Sleep Out fundraiser Saturday night at Jackson Park in Vienna. The purpose of the event was to draw attention to adolescent homelessness. Their exhibition features many teenagers couch surfing, moving from place to place and sleeping on other people’s couches because they had to leave their own homes because they were kicked out or it was no longer safe to do so.

VIENNA — Bringing attention to teen homelessness in the area was the focus of a fundraiser in Vienna Saturday night.

The ninth annual Parkersburg Sleep Out fundraiser was held at Jackson Park Stadium to raise money for the Transitional Living Program, which helps homeless people ages 16 to 22 in need, said Denise Hughes, director of Children’s Home Society of the West. Virginia said.

The event is part of a nationwide initiative over the next few weekends to help raise awareness of teen homelessness and the challenges many face.

This year’s theme is as follows “Oh the Places You’ll Go” based on the works of Dr. Seuss. About 50-70 people participated in approximately five teams from local enterprises and organizations.

Each team created a construction out of cardboard and tape that reflected the theme.

(Photo: Brett Dunlap) United Bank’s Nikki Lynch works on a display set up by a group of bank employees Saturday night during the ninth annual Parkersburg Sleep Out Fundraiser held at Jackson Park in Vienna. The event was a fundraiser for programs that help homeless teenagers in the area.

“The teams were very creative in what they used,” Hughes said. “We’re not here to emulate the homeless or act like we’re homeless, we’re here to raise awareness.

“We stand in solidarity with homeless people, talk about our program and what we can offer homeless youth.”

Hughes said there are many homeless youth in the area.

“It’s unknown because young people don’t want to sleep under bridges or in the park.” she said. “They tend to couch surf or go door to door. Some have been kicked out of their homes or have nowhere to go.”

There are times when their home is unsafe, it could be unsafe for them because of drugs, crime or domestic violence, she said.

“We can help them get out of these situations and find a safe place to live and get the resources they need to be independent.” Hughes said. “The mission of the Children’s Home Society is to promote the well-being of children, regardless of their age.

“Even for these older kids who need our help, we want to be there.”

In the past, the event lasted all night, but many people could not stay all night, so they went until midnight.

The evening included an open mic and DJ Moon King and Thrill the World Dancers performing Michael Jackson “Thriller” tribute, game tent and basket raffle.

The United Bank team made a cardboard bus structure decorated with a saying “The sky’s the limit” and a number of Seuss representations “The Cat in the Hat”.

Samalla Roberts, senior manager of sales and service at United Bank’s head office, highlighted the shuttle bus program for many young people to help them get to school or work.

“We think it’s important to get involved in the community and make sure we show everyone that it’s important to us.” she said. “We want to do everything we can to help with that.”

Lisa Doyle-Parsons, director of the Circles Campaign of the Mid-Ohio Valley, a nonprofit that works with the Children’s Home Society. According to her, homeless youth get many life skills.

His display was meant to represent couchsurfing youth, showing a figure lying on a couch with their belongings in a backpack and a can of canned pasta. A box of Narcan is among the figure’s belongings, as drug abuse is a regular occurrence among homeless youth.

“Typically (couch surfing) is the first place for youth who become homeless if they’re asked to leave home or kicked out.” Doyle-Parsons said, adding that some are looking for a place to sleep.

According to her, they can find themselves in a very dangerous situation if they don’t know the person well or if they don’t meet someone online.

The Circles campaign knows this is a serious issue in Wood County, she said.

“Homeless youth are a hidden population among the homeless.” said Doyle-Parsons. “They try not to let it be known that they are homeless, and they try to hide it and disguise it.”

Statistically, there are more than 14,000 homeless youth in West Virginia, she said.

“We want to make sure people are aware of this issue.” said Doyle-Parsons.

Many homeless young people struggle to stay out of the spotlight. It’s hard to get an accurate count of homeless youth, Hughes said.

Statistics estimate that about 42 million young people in the United States are homeless, she said.

Hughes hopes the people who took part in the event had fun and that their time and effort will benefit homeless youth in the community.

“I think people would be surprised at how many homeless young people there are in Parkersburg.” she said, adding that they receive referrals from a number of agencies, schools, churches and community organizations.

“More often than not, we can help them,” Hughes said.

In addition to helping them find housing, they also get help with life skills and provide different types of support, including adult mentors who can help them deal with situations that arise when people live on their own. place.

“We want to help them understand how to be independent” Hughes said.

The Children’s Home Society has a Facebook page and a website at childhswv.org where people can donate.

“Any donation stays in place” Hughes said.

All proceeds from the Sleep Out are used to help youth with rent and other needed resources, she said.