On Saturday, Tucsonans can join the Arizona Roofing Contractors Association (ARCA) in helping homeless youth lay a foundation to build a better future with the Raising the Roof for YOTO (Youth On Their Own) 12th Annual Charity Bowling Tournament and Silent Auction.
The event runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Golden Pin Lanes, 1010 W. Miracle Mile.
“Youth On Their Own fits perfectly with what ARCA wants to support: Teens trying to finish school — especially teens who might not have a home,” said Donna Maynard, co-chair of the event for the past several years.
“We want to support them so they can get an education and graduate so they can go further in life and be successful members of the community.”
Maynard said local roofing contractors, builders, subcontractors and affiliated businesses relish the annual chance to rally behind YOTO, which is dedicated to helping homeless youth graduate from high school by providing financial assistance, basic human needs and guidance. She said many of the participants have been involved from the inception of the event, which has raised more than $170,000 for the nonprofit.
“In day-to-day business, these people and companies may be competing for the same business, but at this event we are all working together and it is a great atmosphere with great camaraderie,” she said.
Dave Metz, the Arizona Commercial Technical and Sales Representative for Elastek, is among the longtime participants. Metz said Elastek, a reflective coatings and roof restoration manufacturer, is an enthusiastic supporter.
“To be quite honest, the youth are our building foundation for the future and if we don’t invest in them, the future looks bleak,” Metz said. “We have to give the kids every possible opportunity to succeed and this is one organization that does that.”
In the 2014-2015 school year, YOTO served almost 1,500 children in grades six through 12, offering monthly stipends ($25 for middle school and up to $140 for high school) to encourage good grades and regular school attendance.
YOTO also provides emotional support and assistance with housing, transportation and other resources for youths forced from their homes. The reasons range from physical, sexual or substance abuse and violence in their homes to issues such as parental incarceration, poverty, abandonment or neglect that may result in placement in foster care.
“Kids get dragged into situations they have no control over and no hand in developing, so when adults do things to throw them into these situations, a little help from someone else is not a bad thing,” Metz said.
In December 2013, Pima County statistics indicated that more than 5,600 homeless, at-risk local youths fit that profile, according to YOTO Executive Director Teresa Baker.
Arizona consistently ranks among the top five states in the nation for high school dropouts, Baker said, and YOTO is determined to change that statistic.
“This problem has escalated because of the decline of family and the decline in focus on education in our country,” Baker said. “Plus, Tucson is one of the top five poorest cities in the United States. We have 25 to 30 percent of the population living below the poverty level.
“The Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce has a saying that, ‘The best weapon on poverty is a job,’ but to get a job, one has to have a high school diploma and that is our focus.”
YOTO also has begun making an effort to reach middle school youths over the past few years.
“In taking on the middle school population, the objective is prevention; the process of dropping out of high school begins after fifth grade, between the ages of ten and 12 when parents who aren’t interested in parenting are no longer hands-on and kids have more autonomy,” Baker said.
“We are helping these kids to stay focused on school and taking the place of what I would call ‘the voice of reason’ they are not getting at home.”
One aspect of that “voice of reason is accountability; students receive monthly stipends by maintaining grades of C or better in every class and attending class regularly.
Metz and many other ARCA supporters believe this is an essential life skill.
“It is important that the kids have to earn their way. That is part of life; you have to earn your way throughout life, so being accountable is an important step,” Metz said. “It is easy to take money, but earning it is a whole different challenge.”
