Within the boundaries of Grays Harbor County, dozens of teenagers are left little choice but to couch surf at a friend’s house, bounce between relatives, or be at home with little to no parental guidance or influence. A lack of moral and emotional support systems aside, these are kids who often go hungry. With many benefiting from free or reduced lunches and breakfasts at school, the weekend leaves them without a steady source of nutrition.
Enter the Grays Harbor Homeless Teen Backpack Program (HTBP). Tammy Walker and Kim Hack brought the pilot program to the Harbor four years ago after participating in the Thurston County chapter of the outreach. This year, a total of 69 children have benefited from the program across five different school districts. Teens in need are given a bag of groceries designed to get them from Friday night to Monday morning without going hungry. Given backpacks to discreetly collect their groceries, students can leave with a smile knowing someone cared enough to ensure they had food to last the weekend.
Since Luke Brogan of Aberdeen Honda set up his business as a donation drop-off point, Aberdeen Honda has become an important component to the success of the Backpack Program. Having been involved for about a year now, Aberdeen Honda has gone from being a drop-off point to becoming a crux for fundraisers.
Tammy Walker, Program Coordinator for the HTBP says, “Aberdeen Honda has a diverse outreach. They help communicate to others about the program, facilitate fundraising, and are hugely instrumental individuals. They are passionate about the HTBP and without them, there are a lot of things we wouldn’t be able to do.”
Walker goes on to express the positive results of the program such as increased morale amongst students who have benefited from the groceries. Simply knowing someone cares can have an immense impact on a teen’s life. Overall the students’ attendance improves along with their grade point average. “These kids don’t want to grow up to be a part of the system. They want to succeed, and the kids we help today are our leaders tomorrow,” notes Walker.
For Brogan, one of his favorite aspects of the program is how community oriented it is. Those who run the program live in Grays Harbor and most of the shopping done for the backpacks stays local. With minimal overhead, dollars directly impact local children. “It’s become more of our go-to charity,” explains Brogan. With a focus on local need, Aberdeen Honda contributes to various outreaches, but the HTBP has drawn much of their attention. Michelle Glick, co-owner of Aberdeen Honda adds that, “Our goal is to grow and be a constant positive presence in the community – to be profitable and support the people that work here and their families.”
Adding yet another level to local involvement, Aberdeen Honda provides jobs for about 25 employees. Brogan and Glick’s hopes for the upcoming years is to see the business expand and provide even more jobs for local residents. Having started the business in 1999, car sales is what Brogan does best. With a low turnover rate amongst core staff, it says a lot about the stability of the business and also the employees that work there. “The best part about our staff is their willingness to step up and work as a team – doing whatever they can to do better and prosper and participate in fundraising and donations to the Backpack Program,” says Brogan.
Walker insists, “We need to be the change we want to see in the community.” For Brogan, the change he wishes to see is an improved economy, cleaner streets, and a banding together to improve downtown Aberdeen. Supporting our youth – the future of Grays Harbor – is a great place to start.
For those interested in getting involved with the Grays Harbor Homeless Teen Backpack Program, contact Tammy Walker, Program Coordinator, at 360-346-0208.
