Northern Nevada’s homeless, at-risk, aged-out foster youth is on the rise. A single night on the streets of Reno alone can claim up to 205 homeless youth under the age of 25 according to the 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR). Young and afraid, they survive with nowhere to, barely getting their basic needs met. Stepping into those worn-out, second-hand shoes for just a moment makes us all grateful for the fortunate lifestyle that we often take for granted.
It’s this crisis that inspired HCIM to choose Eddy House for their 2022 All Colleague Meeting Community Give Back Event. Eddy House’s mission to “meet them where they are at” allows for Northern Nevada’s at-risk and homeless youth to not only receive the essentials: a warm, clean bed, hot meal, and shower, but they take it a step further, educating and focusing on self-care and improving their future. Their inviting and bright 16,000 square-foot haven is chock full of books, computers, lockers to keep stuff safe, cozy blankets, and even a cool hangout room with an enormous wrap-around couch and television.
After gladly donating $4,000 of financial support, the HCIM team headed over to Eddy House, located on a tree-lined street where Willow meets Locust. While there, everyone worked on various projects such as painting the women’s and men’s overnight rooms, sweeping up the parking lot and walkways around the building, and cleaning the inside.
As we stood in the parking lot, sweeping up the leaves with brooms, maybe two minutes passed before the HCIM team began applying our ingrained culture of working smarter and more efficiently. Everyone decided that HCIM had to buy Eddy House a leaf blower to make the task easier for the hard-working staff and volunteers that carry out the building maintenance. We all laughed, realizing how our company culture is with us no matter the job at hand.
In situations where others steer clear, Eddy House dives into the community, offering water, blankets, and food to those kids living on the streets. They want the youth to know there’s a place they can get help. From their Drop-In Center and Emergency Shelter to safe community, Eddy House is built on a foundation of volunteers, community support, compassion, and the steadfast belief that reality can transform into possibility. HCIM is proud to be a part of something that motivates the community to nurture and empathize with those in need of a healthy dose of humanity.