Did you know that one in ten 18- to 25-year-olds, and one in thirty 13- to 17-year-olds experience homelessness every year? That’s 4.2 million young people who lack basic safety and stability.

That's why Youth In Need’s Young Professionals Group is holding its sixth annual Step-Up and Sleep-Out event to raise money and awareness to support our programs that work directly with youth experiencing homelessness. Through your support of Step-Up and Sleep-Out, you are providing the necessary items and resources for hundreds of youth to find safety, hope and success in life. It takes just one night to make a difference. Create your own fundraising page today to get started!

How to participate:

Sleep-out from your home or another safe and legal place on a day of your choice between October 20th and November 20th, 2024. Remember, you should only sleep somewhere safe and legal. A yard, garage, porch, balcony or floor are all great options.

The important part is to think about what comforts you’ll give up for the night. Your bed, of course, but also consider going without a pillow or blanket, comfy pajamas or your usual nighttime routines. As you settle in for the night, take a couple of photos and tag them on social media with #yinsleepout. You also can send photos and reflections on your Sleep- Out to us at aprilk@youthinneed.org.

We've created a toolkit with sample social media posts, images, information about Youth In Need, and tips for sleeping out to help make your campaign as successful as possible! Access it here.

Join us for the culmination event on November 20th at 6 p.m. at Youth In Need (1815 Boone’s Lick Road in St. Charles). Participants will meet Youth In Need’s CEO, Pat Holterman-Hommes who has been with the organization for 35 years and watch a presentation from our Street Outreach team on what youth homelessness looks like and how our Safe Place Program helps. Light appetizers and refreshments will be served.

Questions about Step-Up and Sleep-Out or Youth In Need's Young Professionals Group? Reach out to Ashlee Berry at aberry@youthinneed.org.