Since the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, more than 1,000 volunteer hours have been donated by 250+ volunteers at HYC. It is because of our volunteers, who share their generous hearts, believe in our mission, and give their time, that HYC youth can focus on education and stay in school.

April 17-23 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week this year, and HYC is eager to share our gratitude with the hundreds of volunteers who have been part of our mission. HYC provides essential services to upwards of 600 youth every year, with a small staff of fewer than 20 professionals. Volunteers are critical in providing support so that urgently needed hygiene items and food kits are available for our youth, students have transportation to doctor’s appointments, and HYC resource closets across the Valley are stocked for convenient and quick access for youth experiencing homelessness. Volunteers’ time, energy, and compassion toward our youth has helped hundreds of youth experiencing homelessness receive the support they need to stay in school, graduate, and have a chance at a successful future.

Volunteering within the community does a lot of good. When you volunteer your time and efforts, you start a chain of positive events that start when you decide to help out, until long after you’ve done your part.

Why volunteer at HYC? Here are three reasons to sign up today to join our volunteer team:

1. Be a part of the solution to youth homelessness. Volunteers are crucial in connecting youth experiencing homelessness with the essential items they need to stay healthy and focus on school.
2. Meet new people and be part of a community. Dozens of community members volunteer at HYC. Join HYC at a volunteer event, and chances are you’ll meet other like-minded folks interested in making a difference.
3. Gain a sense of accomplishment and boost your happiness. Research shows that volunteers feel more fulfilled, accomplished, and happier after connecting and serving a purposeful role in their community.[1]

There are many other benefits of volunteering, like learning new skills, networking, and gaining experience for professional or personal goals!

Volunteer support makes a tremendous impact on the resources available for HYC youth. Interested in getting involved? Complete our volunteer application at https://bit.ly/hycvols to get added to our email list or check out our calendar of upcoming events at https://hycaz.org/event/. The staff and youth at HYC sincerely thank all of our volunteers for their commitment to serve and making our community a better, safer, and healthier place for youth experiencing homelessness.

[1]Lawton, R.N., Gramatki, I., Watt, W. et al. Does Volunteering Make Us Happier, or Are Happier People More Likely to Volunteer? Addressing the Problem of Reverse Causality When Estimating the Wellbeing Impacts of Volunteering. J Happiness Stud 22, 599–624 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00242-8