Harmony Homes launches campaign to help homeless

When Harmony Homes posted a Facebook message seeking donations for the more than 150 homeless students attending Rancho High School in early December, the Las Vegas-based builder was hopeful that community members would step up with donations to help make the holiday season a little brighter for this often overlooked student population. They never expected the generosity that followed.

Within a week, donations of gift cards, cash, clothes, school supplies and basic essentials valued at more than $10,000 were received, surprising and humbling Harmony project manager Don Purdue, who organized the donation drive after hearing about these students' plight.

"A friend of mine sent me a note on Facebook mentioning that Rancho High School has 150 homeless students, and I thought that there was no way for this to be true and that he had to be wrong. Is it possible for this many students without homes to be attending one high school? I learned that he was unfortunately right," Purdue said.

"I later met with Angela Urquiaga, the registrar at Rancho who also serves as the homeless advocate, to see what Harmony Homes may be able to do to help. During the meeting, a few students came in. One was looking for a graduation gown so that he could graduate with his class, and another was delivering a thank you note for the employee's help in helping her family find a one-bedroom apartment to stay. I learned that some of these students don't even have what they need in order to do their school work, like the eight homeless students who are taking a calculus class and didn't have the right kind of calculator, and that many of these students get their only steady meal at school. There was great concern about where and what these high school students may eat during the two-week winter school break."

Purdue asked himself the question: "What can we do to help?"

"I went to my co-workers, contacted the subcontractors and subassociates of Harmony Homes, and posted a message on Facebook seeking donations of warm clothes, gift cards for fast-food restaurants so that the students can eat during their school break, and eight calculators. The next day, the calculators were donated, and within just the first 10 days the outpouring of support has been phenomenal with over $10,000 worth of items coming in from Las Vegans, businesses and even from people living out of state."

The philanthropic effort has since been named Project 150, symbolizing the 150 homeless students of which Purdue became aware, with the builder looking at ways to support homeless students not only at Rancho but at other Clark County School District schools in 2012.

"It is mind boggling that these kids have to go through being homeless and all of the problems that arise from it. It's a year-round problem that goes beyond the holidays, and it is happening not only at Rancho but in every high school," Purdue said. "We are just trying to help out. We want to help to keep these kids in school, to keep them on the path toward graduation, and to let them know that people do care."

The builder is collecting donations of adult-size winter clothing, coats, personal hygiene items, and gift cards to fast-food restaurants at its 14 neighborhoods throughout the valley, which will be dispersed to students through the school.

"The support that we've received in the first weeks has been great and we hope that it continues because it's something that these teenagers have to deal with every day. It is a tremendous deal and those who help these students, especially Angela, are amazing," he said.

For neighborhood information and locations, visit HarmonyHomes.com. Questions about donation needs may be emailed to Don Purdue at dpurdue@
harmonyhomes.com.