Manchester, NH – Almost nothing is as attention-getting as a group of people hunkered down outside on a frosty night. Unquestionably, that was the intended message of Child and Family Services SleepOut on March 24. Child and Family Services (CFS) joined with prominent New Hampshire business leaders, friends, and supporters at the Stanton Plaza in Manchester to raise funds and awareness for homeless youth. Among the attendees were New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, Manchester Mayor Ted Gatsas, and longtime supporters PROCON owners Mark and Sally Stebbins.
Mark and Sally Stebbins with Governor and Mrs. Sununu
The annual CFS SleepOut raises funds and community consciousness of homeless and at-risk youth by sleeping on the ground outside in a spirit of solidarity.
Steve Kanavich, Tom Haubrich, and Jimmy Lehoux
Their efforts paid off, and Borja proudly announced that thanks to the generosity of their many supporters, $182,000 was raised for the cause. He continued, “The beauty of a fundraiser like this is that every single dollar is going to provide services for the youth, including survival aid for the winter. It also provides substance abuse services, housing, and education — all the things that will enable these kids to have a future.”
PROCON owners Mark and Sally Stebbins are CFS’s longest-standing corporate sponsors, with over 25 years championing their cause in the community. In fact, it was PROCON’s donation last year that facilitated the much-needed renovation of their Lincoln Street building. The new center that opened in fall 2016 was named the Katherine and Herbert Stebbins Youth Resource Center as a tribute to the Stebbins family’s long-standing contributions. This year, a $20,000 check was presented on behalf of the Stebbins family and PROCON.
(l-r) Mark Stebbins and Sally Stebbins with PROCON employees Christal Vandecar, Jennifer Bowles, Jimmy Lehoux, Steve Kanavich, and Tom Haubrich; and Borja Alvarez de Toledo, CEO of Child and Family Services.
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The future is filled with possibilities for kids like “Max,” whose story was recounted at the event. Max was thrown out of his home on Memorial Day, 2016 after years of abusive behavior that included being locked up in a 10×10 room with the windows nailed shut. After finding out about CFS, he received support and kindness, which he said, “seemed too good to be true.” With the help of CFS, Max got his life on track and has been accepted to two colleges.
The Youth Resource Center provides food, clothing, laundry, showers, and a computer lab. They also offer crucial services such as educational advocacy, mental health counseling, housing support, job skill training, and substance abuse treatment. Beyond that, Child and Family Services puts “boots on the ground” with a street outreach program that goes out to the parking lots, under the bridges, etc. and finds homeless youth.
Countless homeless and at-risk youth have benefitted from the spectrum of life-changing services offered by Child and Family Services.
This year, over 70 “sleepers” participated in the event, with eight of them representing PROCON. Steve Kanavich, Jimmy Lehoux and Tom Haubrich returned to the event and were joined by Christal Vandecar, Neil Billings, Deb Billings and Jen Bowles. “Sleep time” commenced at 11:00 pm Friday night and concluded at 6:00 am Saturday morning.
President/CEO of Child and Family Services Borja Alvarez de Toledo shared the significance of this year’s campaign, which at first appeared disheartening because it did not receive federal funding for the Street Outreach Program. (CFS is the only agency with an Outreach Program that actively seeks out homeless kids in the streets). However, not easily deterred, they rallied quickly and as Borja put it, “We were very clear when we knew we would not be receiving the funds that we would not give up.”
Child and Family Services’ mission is to end youth homelessness by 2020.
Child and Family Services of New Hampshire is a private nonprofit dedicated to advancing the well-being of children by providing an array of social services to strengthen family life and by promoting community commitment to the needs of children.
