In Salt Lake City, two teen members of St. James Episcopal Church in Midvale, Utah have raised an incredible $800,000 for the homeless!
Two teens have raised over $800K for homeless
From the Salt Lake Tribune
When they were freshmen in high school, friends Ashton Palmer and Andrew Hagedorn read a newspaper story about a homeless man who froze to death in his car.
Ashton and Andrew were moved to action by the report: They promised each other they would help homeless people however they could.
That promise, now nearly 4 years old, has been fulfilled again and again. Despite the challenges of high school and their extracurricular activities — Ashton is captain of her school’s varsity water polo and swimming teams, and Andrew was a varsity lacrosse player — the pair are still committed to the cause.
Together, they have raised more than $800,000 for local organizations, including The Road Home shelter and the Utah Youth Mentor’s Milestone project, which provides housing for at-risk youth who have aged out of foster care.
They offer simple reasons for their commitment to service. “I’m a very fortunate person,” said Andrew, 17, who was a student at East High until recently moving to Joplin, Mo. “I worry [about] if I’m getting an A in a class. They worry about their next meal or where they are going to sleep.”
. . .
Andrew and Ashton started fulfilling their promise to each other by bringing up the subject at Youth to Youth, their church group at Midvale’s St. James Episcopal Church. Their group was motivated to volunteer at The Road Home, serving dinner one night.