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By Dylana Kneeshaw

ENDING YOUTH HOMELESSNESS

Update: Camp Out to End Youth Homelessness raises more than $100,000

Dec 13, 2020 | 10:44 AM

KAMLOOPS — Participants in the annual Camp Out to End Youth Homelessness Friday evening (Dec. 11) have raised more than $108,000 for A Way Home Kamloops.

Fundraisers who took part camped in their own backyards in cardboard boxes to get a glimpse of the conditions youth experiencing homelessness live in.

The event raises money for A Way Home Kamloops – which works to find housing and educational supports for youth in need. A large focus of its work has been the development of Safe Suites – which are 24/7 supportive housing units for young people aged 18-25 with mental health or substance use concerns.

The organization was shaken with the recent passing of Executive Director Katherine McParland (Dec. 4), but organizers worked to make sure the Camp Out could still happen.

Grayden Flanagan sits on the Board of Directors and says as of Dec. 12, the fundraiser gathered $108,050 in donations. The tally is more than double what was raised last year, and additional donations are expected in the coming days.

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“We definitely focus the money we raise on to Safe Suites,” explains Flanagan, “We have one right now and we’re looking to open a second one, and move forward with getting youth with nowhere to go a safe place to go and prosper.”

Flanagan says watching the once grassroots organization grow to a non-profit raising this amount of money has been incredible.

“It’s just been astronomic. Again, this is all on the back of Katherine McParland. She was an amazing person that could just draw the best out of people, and get people from all walks of life and society to help out.”

According to Flanagan, the organization has been working hard to continue pursuing Katherine’s goal to end youth homelessness. He adds that volunteers, board members, and all those involved in the camp out were grateful to have such a successful result.

“I truly cherish my time with her (Katherine), and I think that it’s amazing that people in Kamloops are able to support such an amazing vision. We thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts – thank you.”