There are more than 14,000 students experiencing homelessness in Clark County schools. These young people do not have easy access to school supplies and miss out on the excitement of back-to-school shopping. Most do not have the opportunity to play sports or partake in extracurricular or graduation activities given their costs. To change this and provide the support these youth need to thrive in school and fund activities and education necessities throughout the school year, the nonprofit Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) has launched the 2023 NPHY Education Drive.
“Ensuring all youth have access to education and other activities is critical to their path to self-sufficiency and overall mental health and well-being,” said Arash Ghafoori, NPHY chief executive officer. “Community support is vital in helping the thousands of vulnerable youth and children reach their potential and have the same opportunities as their peers. With the public’s continued support, we can make a difference and will be able to help young people experiencing homelessness get the most out of their school experience. This will lead to more of them graduating and continuing their success well beyond graduation.”
There are several ways to get involved now through Thursday, July 20. Participants can donate school supplies or host a school supply drive with friends, family and co-workers so youth can be prepared to return to school. Needed items include backpacks, spiral notebooks, binders and more. A full list of needed items is available here.
Donations can be dropped off at the NPHY Drop-In Center, located at 4981 Shirley St. near UNLV, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additionally, supplies can be purchased through the NPHY’s Back-to-School Amazon Wish List to have items delivered directly to NPHY.
Monetary donations are welcome and help with expenses that arise throughout the school year. These donations help NPHY continue providing housing and food, as well as scholarships, sports support, yearbooks, prom fees, college application fees, graduation costs and other educational expenses. Monetary donations can be made by going to www.nphy.org and clicking on the “Education Drive” banner.
Along with distribution through NPHY’s Drop-In Center and housing programs, donated school items will be distributed on July 28 during Feel Good Friday, a youth outreach and engagement event hosted by NPHY. Feel Good Friday provides critical resources such as information about NPHY, Safe Place (NPHY’s 24-hour mobile crisis intervention service), and other related programs, along with providing food and hygiene supplies, seasonal items, and more to young people who are in unstable housing situations or experiencing homelessness.
There are still opportunities to sponsor the Education Drive, with varying involvement levels and recognition options from $500 to $5,000.
For more information about the NPHY Education Drive, sponsorship, hosting a supply drive or donations, email events@nphy.org, visit www.nphy.org or call 702-383-1332.
About Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth
NPHY is the most comprehensive service provider for the thousands of homeless youth in Southern Nevada, serving hundreds of youth through core programs and touching the lives of thousands more through outreach each year. NPHY’s programs stabilize
homeless teens’ lives, meeting their immediate needs and providing a safe, supportive environment and a path to self-sufficiency. Through work with homeless youth, NPHY creates productive, healthy adults who contribute to society. Strengthening and
complementing the high-quality direct services for homeless youth, NPHY is dedicated to advocating for the Las Vegas Valley’s homeless youth population and serves as a leader in systems-level efforts to eliminate homelessness among Nevada’s youth. For more information or to support our life-changing work for homeless youth, please visit www.nphy.org.
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