In solidarity with the teens it serves, Waypoint will hold a different kind of sleepout

Yahoo

10-03-2025

ROCHESTER — With its largest fundraising coming up on March 21, Waypoint, which offers support services to homeless youth, faced a dilemma.
In its Grants Pass v. Johnson ruling in July 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court gave cities and towns across the nation the power to criminally prosecute people who are sleeping outside on public property, even if the city or town does not offer a shelter. In the wake of that ruling the homeless youth served by Waypoint have reported being harassed.
In order not to accept a privilege denied to their clients, Waypoint decided not to hold its large annual group sleepout to end youth homelessness, but instead to encourage individuals and small groups to find alternative ways to be outdoors and raise funds for the homeless youth.
More: Sleeping on public property can be a crime if you're homeless, Supreme Court says
Mandy Lancaster, director of Waypoint's Homeless Youth and Young Adult services, said the decision is intended to honor the homeless youth they serve, young people who she said are being harassed when they have to sleep outside.
"With nearly 15,000 youth experiencing homelessness in New Hampshire each year, Waypoint's 11th annual SleepOut on March 21 aims to raise awareness and funds to address this critical issue," said Kristen Lestock, a Waypoint spokesperson. "This experiential fundraising event supports essential services, including the state's only low-barrier emergency youth shelter and youth drop-in centers in Manchester and Rochester."
This year, advocates will sleep remotely outside at a location of their choice due to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
"We were presented with an ethical dilemma," Lancaster said. "Our young people came to us and said they were hurt by our intention to do the event. They told us they are getting tickets (some of which we have paid through our legal fund), are being harassed daily. So even though we truly believe in this cause, this event, we know the young people we work with deal with dangerous situations. They try to be inside in the cold weather but when it gets warmer, they naturally tend to move outside. We hope we do not take a financial hit on money we use for programs to help them, but we are willing to risk it, to make a stand.
"We held many meetings, agonized over this, but the young people we talked with really felt it was unfair that we would be allowed to hold the event, to sleep outside when they are being persecuted for it," she said. "We will respect that."
Lancaster said they understand the implication of not doing the event. They are aware, and hope they are wrong, but they fear this move could have a negative impact on this, one of their biggest fundraisers.
"But we feel strongly it is the right decision," she said.
Instead, Waypoint will hold an event at a Bronstein Park in Manchester, and then people are encouraged to sleep outside at a location of their choosing, mostly on private property.
People can make monetary donations to help by visiting Ways to Give and Support Our Programs | Waypoint.
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: In solidarity with the teens it serves, Waypoint changes fundraiser