Youth Campaign

Julia raised $450 for Blanchet House this year selling gingerbread cookies.

The youth in our community have always been an important element in the day to day operations of Blanchet.  After all, the founders of Blanchet were all college graduates in their mid-twenties when they started serving meals in 1952.  Every year over 1,000 high school students form the Portland metropolitan area volunteer their time serving at Blanchet.  Many middle-school students, college students and graduates beginning their careers spend time volunteering at Blanchet.  The energy and good cheer they show to our guests and to others working in our facility is an inspiration.

The youth in our community cannot be excluded from this campaign.  They are so vital to everything we do.  Many have said they want to help us reach our goal of $9 million for our new facility.  Therefore, they have asked to have a Blanchet Youth Capital Campaign for those individuals twenty-six years old and younger.  Why twenty-six?  Again, that was the approximate age of most of the founders of Blanchet many years ago.  It only makes sense that this new group of emerging leaders help us build our new facility.

Joey and Emily Harrington

Joey and Emily Harrington have volunteered to be Honorary Chairs of the Blanchet Youth Capital Campaign.  We are thrilled and grateful to have their unconditional support.  Joey’s grandfather, Bernie, was one of the original founders of the Blanchet Club.  Emily, who has her degree in nursing, has assisted in setting up a program  to provide medical assistance to our guests.

The Youth Campaign will kick-off during the summer of 2009.  We have put plans in place where we hope it will include hundreds, if not thousands, of kids in our community.  We expect the campaign to last until the end of September, 2010.

Some of our donors have promised $150,000 in matching gifts if the Youth Campaign reaches certain goals.  The first $25,000 raised will be matched one-for-one.  The second $25,000 raised will be matched two-for-one.  The third $25,000 will be matched three-for-one.  Therefore, if the Youth Campaign raises $75,000 by the end of September, 2010, it will receive a total of $150,000 in matching gifts, and generate $225,000 overall.  This would be a significant contribution to the overall campaign.  We’ll worry about what happens if the Campaign goes over $75,000 once we get close!  Thank you to those donors who generously offered these matching gifts.

No donation from this group will be too small.  We do hope to receive some larger donations from some of the older individuals who are already working.  Every individual who donates a total of $25 or more will have their name put on a plaque that will be placed on the wall in the new facility, in perpetuity.  We will strongly encourage this group not to raid their parent’s wallets or purses for $25.  Instead, we want them to work for or sacrifice something for this donation.  It could be donating their earnings, or asking for donations, instead of gifts on birthdays or holidays.

We want the younger generation to step up and take an active role in our Capital Campaign.  This not only helps us today, but ensures there is a future generation that will carry on this important mission. 

TO DONATE TO THE YOUTH CAMPAIGN CLICK ON “YOUTH DONATIONS” ABOVE.