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Heidi Shepherd reports on RHYF
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A visit by a very active Rotarian brought the BBRC up to date on the Rotary Homeless Youth Foundation project in Seattle. Heidi Shepherd, Past Lake Forest Park President and holder of many
positions at the district level, gave a spirited dissertation on the status of the project.
The BBRC Board has supported this project from the beginning, pledging $30 per member per year. Shepherd thanked the Club for this continuing support and said that “100
% of the contributions received go directly to the project. Last year, 115 volunteers showed up to paint the three houses that make up the project’s
residences at Sand Point. Today, they are fully occupied, serving 22 youths who would otherwise have no shelter. The District made its commitment to support the project with $54,000 for furnishings.”
Heidi said she had figured out how to make all this work. “I have 3,205 solutions to helping this project grow and prosper – 3,205 is the number
of Rotarians in District 5030. We all deal with organizations that can help reduce this terrible statistic … 1,000 kids are homeless each night in
Seattle … many of these children are only 9 years old.”
Each of the 52 clubs in District 5030 could volunteer to provide food for one night a year at the YMCA in the University District. The Y provides
showers and a dinner once a week, attracting nearly 70 kids. “Why couldn’t each club volunteer to take its turn once during the year and help
these kids out?” A mediation service has offered its help to the kids and parents, but it’s located in Shoreline. A school district official suggested
that each school in the county offer space for the mediation sessions to occur.
Heidi closed by saying that Rotary Clubs and their members have contact with all kinds of different groups. “You add this together and you have
connections. That’s what Rotary can bring to bear to help relieve this sad homeless situation in our town.”
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