Venture Field: Health

Year of Venture Launch: 2006

Name: Rachel

Role in the Venture: Lead Venturer and eighth grade leader

Venture Description: Kinard Hats for the Homeless is a venture dedicated to making good quality hats and scarves for those in our community who are less fourtunate then we are. During lunch and study hall, seventh, eighth, and ninth graders come together to work on cutting, sewing, and packageing hats and scarves. Our efforts have resulted in over 300 hats and scarves before thanksgiving and more hats and scarves which will be donated soon.

Venture Origin: I came up with the idea for this venture when my dad was riding in the MS 150 fundraiser bikeride. One night when we had walked back to the hotel in Denver, it started raining and I noticed just how many homeless people there were on the streets and how so few of them seemed to have adequate clothing for the weather there.

Innovation: Kinard Hats for the Homeless is creative as we not only address the problem of the lack of warm clothing for others, but also have raised awareness of homelessness among the students in our city. We're planning to host several large fundraisers in the upcomeing months to further finance our project as well as ask for donations from fabric stores.

Impact

Impact: The ways that this venture has impacted our community are numerous. It has impacted the students at Kinard as they are more aware of the less fortunate in our city and they are dedicacted to help others out more than ever. In addition to this, the homeless and unforutunate have been impacted as they are warmer during the cold colorado nights. This is especially signifigant as this winter is the coldent that Colorado has had in several years.

Engagement with the community: In the first two months of our venture, we had about 150 students from Kinard volunteering every day during their lunch and study hall periods. We also had about 15 adults helping out on a regular basis. Since this is Hats for the Homeless's first year of operation, the amount of people currenly participating in it is not as large as we hope but is will surely expand in the years to come.

Impact and engagement progress since launch: Hats for the Homeless has surpassed our goals of 300 hats and scarves in the first two months which is a huge accomplishment. We also have created bonds with students of various grades which brings in more students as they tell their friends. Hats for the Homeless is a learning experience, a service opportinity, and a chance for students to have fun with their friends.

Impact and engagement strategy: Our stratagy is to spread the venture into the other schools in the Poudre School District by sending a small party of the core members to tell about the venture at various schools and getting the schools set up with the necessary supplies.

Awards: We have not won any awards as we are not aiming for the glory but to help those in need.

Budget

Amount of Youth Venture seed grant: $1000

Money raised: We have not raised much money as our late start in our venture. Our efforts have mainly been focused on making the hats and scarves. We have raised about $100 which were donated by parent volunteers.

Creative ways of raising resources: We are planning an ice scream social for a fundraiser as well as writing to various craft and fabric stores for donations.

Strategy

Expansion plan for next 6 months: Kinard Hats for the Homeless is planning to start including not only our own students but also students from the feeder elementary schools in Fort Collins. In addition, we plan to expand our variety to include blankets.

Plans for sustaining the project: I will ensure that this venture is sustainable by writing more grants and requesting dontations from our local fabric stores. My team and I will also be choosing successers in our roles when we move on to highschool.

Vision for three years from now: Our greatest hopes for Hats for the Homeless is that we will have expanded to other junior highs as well as elementary schools and possibally to other cities in colorado. Our hopes for the impact we will have on our community is that everyone is aware of homelessness and that more steps are taken to help those in need.

Project impact: Our venture has been incredibally successful as it has helped many who were previously freezing have a bit of warmth and comfort in their lives. It is so easy to think of homeless as just a clump of people but Kinard Hats for the Homeless has opened the eyes of students to the individual people who are less fourtunate than they are. It has made the lives of people who are homeless easier as the ones who have recieved our hats and scarves are much warmer at night when the temperature often drops to below freezing. It has also made life easier for the people who work in homeless shelters because by donating hats and scarves, they need to do fewer clothing fundraisers. Finally, this venture had made the lives of students easier because there is a sense of fufillment that comes out of knowing that you impacted others who you don't know personally, and that you can make a difference no matter what your age.

Youth Venture movement - what it means and how you can contribute: To us, being a member of the youth venture movement is about being active in our community and showing people that youth can do extrodinary things if given the chance and the resouces. I thing that our team can contribute further to promoting the youth venture movement by expanding our venture beyond schools...into churches and youth centers as well. We can also help promote the youth venture movement by raising youth's awareness of youth venture grants and give them the knowledge that you simply need to have an idea and a drive to accomplish great things.

Author:
Rachel
United States