The Sundt Foundation delivered a check last week to New Pathways for Youth, Inc., a Phoenix-area nonprofit organization that pairs adult mentors with homeless children. The grant will support 150 homeless youth, ages 5-15, who participate in PALS, the only mentoring program for homeless youth living with their families in longer-term shelters.
“We are glad to partner with Sundt who gives back to communities where they live and work,” said Linda Lyman, President/CEO of New Pathways for Youth. “The grant will ensure that children experiencing homelessness are matched to a trained mentor and participate in workshops which build positive social, emotional and academic skills.”
The risks of homelessness include lack of self-identity, poor grades/drop-outs, susceptibility to violence, drugs, and more. A mentor can mitigate many consequences through weekly, in-person meetings. Mentors provide youth with personal connectedness, self-worth, goals, guidance, career/cultural opportunities, and hope for the future. To address the disruption of youth’s cognitive development, staff-delivered evidence-based social and emotional learning curricula teach skills to learn and to relate to others.
The Sundt Foundation was established in 1999 by Sundt Construction, Inc., as a way for its employee-owners to give back to the communities in which they work. In addition to funding grants every quarter, the Foundation also sponsors volunteer activities to benefit nonprofit organizations. The grant money comes primarily from contributions made by Sundt employees, which are matched dollar-for-dollar by the company.
Since its inception the Foundation has made grants totaling more than $6 million to hundreds of worthy organizations. Approximately 75 percent of the money goes to help disadvantaged children, with the remaining 25 percent dedicated to community issues. Employees can also earmark their donations for charitable organizations that benefit members of the military and their families.