Midwest Youth Services is currently observing National Runaway Prevention Month this month, starting with a sweet fundraiser.
Cupcakes For a Cause orders ran through Friday of last week. Youth Program Supervisor Kayla Reno says that the staff at Midwest Youth Services will deliver the ordered cupcakes on the week of November 13th. Reno says that there will still be the opportunity to order when your cupcakes get delivered: “That whole week, we will do delivery from 9AM to 3PM. Just because somebody hasn’t pre-ordered doesn’t mean that they can’t order that week. If an individual receives a cupcake or a dozen from somebody, they can turn around and ‘cupcake’ somebody else and put in an order that day.”
Anne Baker, Executive Director of Midwest Youth Services, says the funds raised from the cupcakes will be put towards expansion of their programs and facilities located at 2001 West Lafayette Avenue. Baker says the amount of youth seeking services at their doors in the 5-county radius has exponentially grown: “During Covid, we opened the first regional emergency youth shelter in the lower level of our agency’s building. That was a very worthwhile and needy cause, but it did monopolize alot of the square footage of our building. We’ve been very fortunate that programs continue to grow – state and federal funding continues to grow, but fortunately and unfortunately, our kids needs are also growing. We are seeing more numbers. We are seeing more kids that need counseling services and families that need support. We are simply out of building space. We have began working with our Board of Directors to expand our building plan here on site. We are realizing very quickly how much things have risen in cost and the price of materials. We have a lot of fundraising to do.”
Baker says that the cupcake fundraiser is the launch of their building expansion project, which they hope to get started as soon as possible. The emergency youth shelter, or Porchlight Project, serves youth in Brown, Cass, Schuyler, Scott, as well as Morgan county.
For more information on Midwest Youth Services visit mys-kids.org.