Nonprofit NPHY Hosting Education Drive to Help Homeless Youth

Last year, there were over 10,000 youth experiencing homelessness enrolled
in the Clark County School District. These young people don’t
experience the excitement of back-to-school shopping, and most don’t
have the opportunity to play sports or partake in extracurricular or
graduation activities due to the costs of these traditional rites of
passage. To change this and provide these youth with the support they
need in order to thrive in school, while providing funding for
activities and education necessities throughout the school year, the
nonprofit Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth (NPHY) has launched
its inaugural NPHY Education Drive.

“Ensuring our 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. 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 that will lead to more of them graduating and continuing
their success well beyond graduation.”

There are several ways to get involved now through Wednesday, 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 at
www.nphy.org. 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 via the NPHY’s
Back-to-School Amazon Wish List to have items delivered directly to NPHY.

The community also can help by making monetary donations to 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 or by texting NPHY to 801801.

Along with distribution through NPHY’s Drop-In Center and Housing
programs, donated items will be distributed on July 28 and 29 during
Feel Good Friday, a youth outreach and engagement event hosted by
NPHY. Feel Good Friday also 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. Additionally, there will be giveaways at these events
ranging from gift cards to electric scooters.

For a list of needed supplies or to make a monetary donation, visit
www.nphy.org. To sign up for a drive, email events@nphy.org.

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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