As a community-wide, youth-informed network:
- We provide rapid access to resources and support services.
- We create avenues for community volunteers and partners to serve youth.
- We remove barriers to accessing resources by listening to and empowering youth to lead.
As a community-wide, youth-informed network:
- We provide rapid access to resources and support services.
- We create avenues for community volunteers and partners to serve youth.
- We remove barriers to accessing resources by listening to and empowering youth to lead.
Our History
In 2015, Jon Ruiz, former Eugene City Manager, together with local business owner Greg Erwin, began talking with the community about the growing issue of youth homelessness. They learned that youth have a narrow window to get off the streets before they are more likely to be there for years.
Intervention within 15 nights is essential to avoid chronic homelessness. 15th Night became the name of our community-wide response to helping youth navigating homelessness to get off the street as quickly as possible, and better yet, never end up there in the first place. Our driving goal is to coordinate quick access to community resources and create a culture of listening to youth when they tell us what they need. The development and support of a Youth Action Council was, and continues to be, a top priority for 15th Night.
In 2016, 15th Night submitted a challenge to Eugene’s “Hack for a Cause,” which is a competition within the tech community. The challenge was to create a way for youth to be connected to a network of resources and services in real time. The result was a Rapid Access Network (RAN) that would allow youth advocates to send “alerts” on behalf of youth that would connect them to existing community resources and services and help to remove barriers to access.
The Youth Action Council then directed 15th Night to turn towards partnering with our local high schools, because schools are considered the best place to mobilize youth and the last resource a youth will stay connected to before potentially ending up on the streets. The belief was that if we could help increase access to school-based resources by removing barriers and engaging students, we would be helping 15th Night’s priority focus – youth navigating homelessness.
In 2017, Megan Shultz, 15th Night Community Coordinator visited principals throughout the community seeking a pilot partner school. Dr. Andy Dey, then principal of South Eugene High School, was the first school leader to support the implementation of a school-based, student-led response to connecting ALL students to their school- and community-based resources. Since then, with United Way Transformation Funding, 15th Night has implemented this school partnership model in all 4J, Bethel and Springfield high schools, and is expanding throughout rural Lane County.
Our Vision & Mission
- No Lane County student will drop out of school due to homelessness.
- Our community will rise to the expectation that Lane County youth should never have to navigate school and life alone.
- Lane County is a community of caring and understanding for our youth experiencing homelessness.
- Lane County residents know how to intervene on behalf of a youth who is experiencing homelessness.
- All Lane County youth know how to get help and find safe alternatives to the street.
Our Network
INTERVENES
QUICKLY
REMOVES
BARRIERS
CREATES
ACCESS
FINDS
SOLUTIONS
Our Network
Our Core Leadership
Our core leadership is made up of local leaders who leverage their knowledge and connections to break down barriers and find solutions for youth who seek help from 15th Night. They are our “yes” team. Our core leaders:
15th Night Founder
Retired Eugene City Manager
Principal, 15th Night Founder
CEO Sapient Private Wealth Management
15th Night Community Coordinator
CEO MSH ConsultingNW
Ph.D., Research Scientist
Oregon Social Learning Center
Executive Director
Lane Council of Governments
D.Ed., Education Consultant
Retired School Superintendent
Homeless Systems Policy Manager
City of Eugene
Executive Director
One Hope Network
Our Youth Action Council
Our Youth Action Council is the heart of 15th Night, whose voices guide all the work that we do. Youth members are currently homeless or in transition from homelessness or have never been homeless but want to help. The Youth Action Council helps to create strategies to end youth homelessness in the community, as well as provides input and feedback for community projects and initiatives.
Our Community Partners
Our community partners work together to safeguard hundreds of Lane County youth who are navigating school, life and homelessness on their own. Thanks to their involvement, 15th Night community partners can prevent Lane County youth from resorting to the streets and can intervene quickly if they do.
