It's easy. It's easy to pass them by and turn our heads, it's easy to look the other way and forget they exist. In reality, though, they are all around us, for years homelessness has affected thousands of people in California alone. In 2019, it was recorded that 151,278 individuals were homeless. 151,278 people just like us didn't have the comfort of going to their own homes at the end of the day. We look around and we see our neighbors, our families, our friends, all living safely and stably. It's easy to think that not many people are homeless because, for many of us, it's not something we see every day. But some of us do, some of us see our fellow brothers and sisters suffering constantly and many of us chose not to do anything. Whether it's because we're afraid to, don't want to, or simply think someone else will do it we still decide to stand by silently. I'm here to tell you that you can make a difference, one of you alone can help life in ways none of us can imagine.

                  This summer I went down to volunteer at YAC, Youth Assistance Coalition, where I saw so many beautiful people helping those who have less than us. Whether it was handing out food, helping them get homes and documentation, or simply spending time with them they were making a difference. Not only that but I got to personally meet some of the teens and adults at the shelter and I realized that even though they're homeless, they're just like us. I saw people laughing, playing games, spending time with family just like we do. I even got to personally get to know Heather who is YAC's executive director, founder & board member, who showed true commitment and passionate dedication to the teens and adults at the organization. In observing her I was truly inspired, I wanted to make a difference and that's exactly what I'm doing here.

                A few days ago I was talking with Heather and I asked her "So what would people at the shelter need?". To my surprise, she said, "Underwear! Imagine not having clean underwear!". I didn't even consider that something so simple was not a luxury to homeless people. So I thought, what if I could find a way to raise enough money to get a month's worth of underwear for both men and women and that's exactly what I did. My goal is to raise $725 by the end of September and I hope you'll come to join me on this amazing journey! All of the money will go directly to buying underwear for those in need. I and so many others would be incredibly grateful for your help! Thank you!

-Charley Gardner