10 Stories of HOPE: Steve’s Story

March 21st, 2023

Steve has been a part of HOPE 4 Youth since 2018. He currently serves on the HOPE 4 Youth Board as the Chair. Steve’s involvement with HOPE 4 Youth came from his draw to programs whose mission is to help youth. Steve coached and ran a variety of sports programs for over 25 years. This experience allowed him to interact with many young people who were facing challenges every day. However, it wasn’t until his children attended a local high school he became aware of youth homelessness. He learned many high school students were sleeping in their cars. Steve wanted to help alleviate this issue, but he didn’t know how. Eventually, Steve was asked if he had an interest in joining the HOPE 4 Youth Board and he jumped at the opportunity.

Steve is constantly encouraged to continue to be involved with HOPE 4 Youth. He stated, “every time one of the youth has some level of success, whether big or small, it energizes me and makes all the work worthwhile.” Since being involved with HOPE 4 Youth Steve has gained a whole new perspective. He explained, “I now have a greater appreciation for the many advantages I had in my life, especially while growing up. I have more empathy for the struggles young people must overcome to become securely housed.” With this, Steve mentioned he has grown an appreciation for the hard work of staff and volunteers to help HOPE 4 Youth advance towards their mission. He recognizes it is not easy to solve these complex problems and sees the emotional toll it takes on everyone involved.

One thing Steve values most about HOPE 4 Youth is “the dedication everyone has to the mission of HOPE 4 Youth. Without this kind of dedication, it would be easy to become discouraged because this is a tough problem we are trying to solve.” This tied into Steve’s biggest takeaway since being involved with HOPE 4 Youth, which is,

“If people are dedicated to a mission, are willing to work hard, and as a team, they can tackle daunting tasks to make the world a better place.”

Steve’s drive and determination toward our mission are truly inspiring. We are thankful to have a Board member who believes in us and is dedicated to our program.