The 10th annual TGTHR Sleep Out was created to empower the young and end youth homelessness. TGTHR unites people from all over to raise funds, raise awareness, and raise hope for a better future.
How the Sleep Out Works
The TGTHR Sleep Out takes place in person on March 24th at the First United Methodist Church of Boulder; you’ll sleep outside with a sleeping bag, a pillow, and your winter clothes. The event includes a candlelight vigil to remember lives lost, a musical performance, and a reflective discussion.
If you’re not in the Boulder area or prefer to participate without the crowd, you can take part in a virtual sleep out on March 26th. Sleep wherever works for you, assuming it’s safe and legal. Unroll your sleeping bag at a local campground, in your backyard, in your garage, or on your porch. You can sleep out by yourself or make it a slumber party; the more, the merrier the funds raised!
Sign Up – It’s Free!
Whether in person or virtual, the Sleep Out is free to join. Money is generated through fundraising. After registration, you’ll receive information about customizing your donation page. You can set a goal, include a personal story of what inspired your participation, and share with your social networks. The Sleep Out toolkit offers plenty of fundraising tips and tricks to get you started.
TGTHR aims to bring in $200,000 with this event and every dollar counts. If you’re unable to participate in the Sleep Out yourself, consider sponsoring a sleeper or donating directly to TGTHR.
Reasons to Get Involved
There are many reasons to get involved with TGTHR and support homeless youth. For starters, homelessness among the young is far greater than most people realize. Each year, 4.2 million young people experience homelessness. This means that 1 in 30 people between the ages of 13-17 and 1 in 10 transitional youth between the ages of 18-24 will experience homelessness in some form.
Many homeless youth come from already-vulnerable populations. 40% identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community and often leave home as the result of rejection and 35% have previous experience in the foster care system.
TGTHR strives to change this problem. In 2021, the organization helped a total of 314 youth by providing safe housing, transitional living, family reunification support, outreach programs, counseling, overnight shelters, drop-in centers, physical and mental healthcare, access to GED programs, and employment assistance. They provided over 17K hot meals, over 4K hours of case management support, nearly 1500 hours of healthcare, and nearly 4500 hours of life-skills development.
TGTHR also co-sponsored two pieces of legislation to help homeless youth get much-needed assistance, hosted COVID-19 vaccine clinics, launched an equity and inclusion committee, and secured land and funding for a low-income housing project set to open in Denver in 2023.
You can help TGTHR end youth homelessness by taking part in the Sleep Out on March 24th or 26th. Join the movement and rest well knowing you’ve made a difference.