2018 Sleep Out Success

Sleep Out 2018 Group

Sleep Out Update

Last night was my fourth annual night on the street charity fundraiser event.  Unlike the last two years, when we experienced a taste of very sleepless, albeit still supervised, street life on the Downtown East Side, this year, we partnered with the Joseph Richard Group (JRG) and their second annual Sleep Out event to support Youth Unlimited and Covenant House. Over 150 people participated, forgoing their comforts to spend the night sleeping on a piece of cardboard in a South Surrey parking lot, so that homeless youths didn’t have to. We were honored to be a part of it and we are excited to see it continue to grow in the coming years.

At the beginning of the night, we had the privilege of hearing from two youths whose lives were, quite literally, saved by the intervention of Youth Unlimited and Covenant House  respectively.  A powerful reminder of how most people end up homeless due to circumstances completely out of their control, and especially when it comes to the young adults Youth Unlimited and Covenant House work with, without the support, life skills or confidence to save themselves.  After those equally sobering and encouraging testimonies, it was time to head into the parking lot to get “ready for bed” with our cardboard and sleeping bags. We may have gotten a little more sleep than in previous years, but the cardboard never gets any more comfortable.

We collectively raised over $150,000, $30,000 of which will be going to our partner charity Youth Unlimited for their work in the Fraser Valley! This will have a huge impact on these organizations in the coming year, not to mention the impact that it also had on all of us who got just a small taste of being homeless last night.

Thank you to the Joseph Richard Group and everyone who supported financially. Well done!

The donate link will still be up for another week, but either way, thanks again for your support!

Matt Dryfhout

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About Youth Unlimited

Youth Unlimited helps young people discover their potential. From prevention to helping kids on the margins, their dedicated staff and relevant programming offer connection and transformation fostering mental, physical, social, spiritual and emotional well-being among young people in our community. For more information, visit https://www.youthunlimited.com

About Covenant House Vancouver

Providing love and hope to Vancouver’s homeless and at-risk street youth. We help young people aged 16 to 24 who have fled physical, emotional and sexual abuse; those who have been forced from their homes; and those who have aged out of foster care. For more information, visit https://www.covenanthousebc.org