StandUp For Kids Story #2- Stephanie

Posted on Monday at 5:56

Here is a personal StandUp For Kids story from Stephanie. We want to share these type of stories with you so you can see how StandUp For Kids changes lives and how our Fall/Holiday 2011 lines supports their efforts.

My name is Stephanie. I live in Sunnyvale CA. Thanks to StandUp For Kids, I am now healthy, have a job and a place to live. But it wasn’t like that when I first found StandUp For Kids in September 2009. My mother abandoned us when I was 3. My father raised my sister, brother, and me. He was physically and mentally abusive with me on a daily basis, and did not allow me to keep up with school; therefore, my grades were poor and I fell behind in school.

On my 17th birthday my dad had enough of me and kicked me out on my own. I started out sleeping in a park nearby for a few months and then had an opportunity to stay on a friend’s couch for a few months. I had no choice but to leave the high school I was in so I enrolled myself into independent studies at an alternative high school and realized I could finish school. I finished about a year’s worth of work in a matter of a month and a half and got my high school diploma. My friend had told me that this arrangement was very short term, as her family situation could not keep me very long.

In early September 2009, my childhood friend ran away from her unsafe home, and we rented a room together, both planning to get jobs and keep the room. They didn’t require any money down so we gave it a chance. We soon found that there was no way to get a job within the time frame. We tried to stay in the room for as long as we could knowing we would had nowhere else but back on the streets. Two weeks later the landlord gave us a 3-day eviction notice, since we couldn’t pay him any money.

My school counselor contacted the local chapter of StandUp For Kids and that night we all met at McDonald’s (my friend, my school counselor, two StandUp For Kids counselors in their designer purple t-shirts). We discussed our dilemma: no where to stay, no job, no safe family to go to and some medical problems I was facing. StandUp For Kids immediately got us a cashier’s check to pay for one week of rental so that we could put a plan in place. They provided us with food and shoes and more then I could ever ask.

I was turned down by jobs constantly, as I needed some major corrective surgery, but my insurance company refused to schedule the surgery (we thought they were waiting for my insurance to terminate on my 19th birthday). I was in a viscous cycle: no surgery, job, income or place to live. My StandUp For Kids counselor took the insurance company head-on and walked me through a legal escalation, resulting in the surgery being scheduled as well as follow-up medical services. I finally had a plan: get the surgery and then get a job.

StandUp For kids then agreed to provide a short term subsidy (to help with food and other costs) to the friend I had been staying with if she would let me stay with her until I was recovered from the surgery. She agreed. I had the surgery. Shortly after recovery, I got a job in retail. Prior to the surgery StandUp For Kids had taken me for an interview for a transitional housing program. I moved into the transitional housing as of June.

I am now really excited about my life. StandUp For kids helped me identify correspondence courses which I can take while I work. I don’t know where I would be today without the help from the many StandUp For Kids volunteers. They were always there for me, they helped me understand what choices I had and the pros/cons of each, they helped me put together a plan for myself, they cheered me on when I did well, they got in my face and helped me recover when I made bad decisions. Thank you StandUp For Kids!

To enable StandUp For Kids to help more people like Jonathan, please see our apparel. The proceeds from Jedidiah’s Fall/Holiday 2011 lines will be used to help fund a brand new StandUp For Kids homeless center in New York City.

August 15th, 2011 / by Woodbury
Posted in Causes, Made For Good

Tags: jedidiah, made for good, standup for kids, StandUp For Kids Stories

StandUp For Kids Story #1- Jonathan

Posted on Wednesday at 8:00

During our Fall/Holiday partnership with StandUp For Kids, we want to share with you the personal stories from kids who face the street life and have survived because of StandUp For Kids. We believe their stories and quotes are the best way to understand the realities homeless children face and the difference StandUp For Kids makes in many lives.

“The food and supplies are awesome and much needed to help us kids through these rough times, but, what I really admire is that all of you volunteers and staff members take time out of your own lives to help us kids get our lives in order so that we can learn to provide for ourselves. To me this shows outstanding thoughtfulness and caring for those who are in need of help and a push toward a positive direction in life. All of you in helping others sets a great example for the kids that they hopefully will be influenced by and learn to take such a role themselves. Stand up for kids has had a great positive affect in my life and hopefully someday I will be able to do the same for others.” -Jonathan H, Orange County CA

Here, kids share a meal together at StandUp For Kids.

July 27th, 2011 / by Woodbury
Posted in Causes, Made For Good

Tags: jedidiah, made for good, standup for kids

Meet Our New Ambassadors, The Gypsies, From Expedition Impossible

Posted on Thursday at 1:11

We’re thrilled to officially announce our newest ambassadors, The Gypsies, from ABC’s Expedition Impossible! The team is from Jedidiah’s home of San Diego and we are teaming up with them because we believe in their mission to raise awareness, generate funds, and work to expose and address the many challenges faced by the impoverished world. After the show is over, they will be adventuring on a new trip on a project with Free The Children.

About The Gypsies:

“The Modern Gypsies, Eric Bach, John Post and Taylor Filasky, came together on the sunny shores of San Diego. Earlier this year The Gypsies’ had the opportunity to compete on ABC’s new reality show, “Expedition Impossible.” During the competition they raced through the Sahara desert, tamed wild stallions, and battled their way through the unrelenting Morroccan landscape.

Collectively, the Modern Gypsies have worked, volunteered, lived and gotten into trouble in over 45 countries. Despite the countless escapades; our adventure is just beginning. Our mission is to awaken the compassionate adventurer in each person by raising awareness, generating funds and working to expose and address the challenges faced by impoverished communities.

The Gypsies have been inspired by each destination they have traveled to and are initiating a movement to inspire individuals to explore themselves and the world around them.

Currently, the Modern Gypsies are partnering with Free the Children, an organization dedicated to helping children through education, alternative income, healthcare and water and sanitation in 45 different countries. With a proven track record of success and award-winning programs, Free the Children aims to alleviate children from poverty and exploitation and free young people from the notion that they are powerless to affect positive change in the world.

You can go to our website http://www.themoderngypsies.com/ and vote on the Gypsies’ next project. During these adventures we will be filming a production of our escapades. Stay tuned for a series of unmissable, heart racing and inspirational videos. Help us contribute. Proceed from the purchase of each Modern Gypsy T-Shirt will go directly to our projects with Free the Children. Team up with The Gypsies and be part of the change; no mustache required!”