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A Cause For Attention

RE*Generation tries to bring care to the homeless.

Three-time Grammy Award nominee Jewel has recently continued her support of RE*Generation - a collection of organizations that care about homeless youth in America - by donating an autographed acoustic guitar for auction.

In terms of continued support, this isn’t much to compare with Jewel’s performance just a few months ago, as she took the podium before the US Congress. There she testified about her experiences with homelessness as part of a hearing on the crisis of youth homelessness, disconnected youth and youth aging out of foster care.

This action, associated with “The RE*Generation Task Force,” visited Capitol Hill with the intentions of convincing Congress to establish a National Homeless Youth Awareness Month in November. The resolution was introduced in Congress, and passed into law. However, as most of the country doesn’t become aware of what they’re supposed to be aware of until long after the fact, it may have passed you by.

There are over one million young people living on the streets of the United States, many who have been abused or neglected. The survival methods of these kids often leave them with little choice but to beg, steal, or sell their bodies to stay alive.

RE*Generation, a brainchild of the Virgin conglomerates Mobile and Unite, hopes to connect smaller organizations with their large base of donors and lobbyists and inspire a communication-obsessed generation to take action. Since its’ beginning in June of 2006, over three million dollars has been invested through individual and corporate donations. Three organizations are at the focus of RE*Generation: The Children’s Health Fund, StandUp for Kids and Youth Noise.

Virgin customers in particular are being given the chance to take an active role and get involved through donating, volunteering and even text messaging and downloading. Over $31,000 has been raised for The RE*Generation’s charitable partners through the Txt2Donate program, while more specific text messaging programs have gathered items - the Txt2Clothe program has so far gathered over 89,000 items of clothing for donation. StandUp For Kids has been able to add five new chapters thanks to increased funding and awareness.

Other programs for donation matching through extended partnerships have also taken shape. For every ticket sold to the 2007 Virgin Festival by Virgin Mobile, one dollar was donated to The RE*Generation. Supporting organization GreenDimes then matched that amount, for a total of over $110,880 donated.

“I know first-hand what it's like to be young and without a roof over my head,” Jewel told Congress in April. “I’m blessed that my own story has had such a positive ending. But the same cannot be said for the over one million kids out there on the streets who are at risk and have no voice in society.”

And auctioning off her guitar should equal more hands reaching out.

For more information on RE*Generation.

Posted by Leen Morrissey on Mar 06, 2008 @ 12:00 am