StandUp for Kids - Hampton Roads

08/21/2026

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Juvenile Runaway:

Have you seen this juvenile runaway? If you have any information about this child's whereabouts, please contact a VBPD Missing Persons Detective: (757) 385-4101 or the non-emergency line: (757) 385-5000.

08/04/2026

Please read and share :)

🌈 Let's show a young person they're not alone.

Maybe someone accepted you exactly as you are.
Maybe someone stood beside you when no one else would.
Maybe you never had that person.

💜 Who made you feel safe enough to be yourself? Tag them below or tell us your story.

You never know who needs to read your words today.

At StandUp For Kids Hampton Roads, our YOU Group is a safe space for youth ages 12–18 who identify as LGBTQ+, are questioning, or are allies. Everyone deserves a place where they can show up exactly as they are.

Sometimes a single comment can remind someone they belong. 🌈

Please share to spread the word!!

#𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡

07/27/2026

You can't heal a young person if you can't reach them first. 💜

Some of the youth we serve are carrying more trauma than most people could imagine.

Years of abuse.
Neglect.
Homelessness.
Mental illness.
Survival.

When you've spent years just trying to make it through the day, sitting in an office for an hour-long counseling appointment isn't always possible. Many of our young people are simply trying to survive one moment at a time.

So we're changing the way help looks.

Instead of expecting them to come to us, we're bringing mental health services to them.

That might mean meeting a young person at the library.
On a park bench.
At our Drop-In Center.
Even on the street during outreach.

Because healing doesn't always begin in an office.
Sometimes it begins when someone simply shows up.

Today's struggling youth become tomorrow's adults. If we invest in them now, we can help break cycles of homelessness, trauma, and hopelessness before they continue into the next generation.

If you believe every young person deserves that chance, please consider making a donation today.

💜 Every dollar stays right here in Hampton Roads. Every dollar helps local youth.

Please donate today:
www.standUPforKids.org/Hampton-Roads

Together, we can meet them where they are... and help them get where they deserve to be.

Donate Now StandUp For Kids – Hampton Roads is the second-oldest StandUp For Kids chapter, established in 1991 at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. For more than three decades, our volunteers have been…

07/22/2026

Who was the one adult who changed your life?

Maybe it was a teacher who never gave up on you.

A coach who believed in you.

A grandparent who made you feel safe.

A youth pastor who listened.

Or maybe it was simply someone who saw something in you before you could see it in yourself.

Now imagine growing up without that person.

That's the reality for so many of the young people who walk through our doors.

At StandUp For Kids, we don't just provide meals, shelter, and resources. We build relationships. We become the consistent adult who shows up, listens without judgment, and reminds a young person that they matter.

💜 We'd love to hear your story.

Tell us in the comments:
Who was the one adult who changed your life?

Tag them if you can.
Thank them if you can.
If they're no longer here, honor them by sharing their story.

And then...

Please share this post.

Because somewhere tonight, a young person is still waiting to meet their one adult.

Your share could introduce someone to StandUp For Kids...
A future volunteer.
A donor.
A mentor.
Or even a young person who doesn't know we're here yet.

One share really can change a life. 💜

💜 If this post reaches 500 shares, we'll share one incredible story of hope from a young person whose life was forever changed because someone chose to show up.

#𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡

07/21/2026

💼 A job can change a life. Sometimes, all someone needs is an opportunity. 💜

We're excited to partner with
for a Career Pathways & Resource Expo designed specifically for young adults ages 18–24 who are ready to take the next step toward a brighter future.

Whether you're looking for employment, job training, college opportunities, apprenticeships, or community resources, this event is for you. Local employers and organizations will be on-site to help connect you with the tools and support you need to build a stable future.

🗓 Thursday, August 14
🕛 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
📍 1700 College Crescent, Virginia Beach

✨ Plus, Charity's Closet will be distributing food pantry baskets and clothing items to participants!

If you know a young adult who could benefit from this opportunity, please share this post. You never know whose life could change because you took a moment to spread the word. 💜


#𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡

07/18/2026

I have not vetted this but wanted to share for anyone who may be in need!

Beds available as of 07/24-12pm

🚨 We are experiencing deteriorating air quality and extreme heat over the next couple of days‼️

🛌 URP HAS BEDS AVAILABLE

If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness and needs a safe place to get out of the heat, we currently have beds available at our transitional home in Virginia Beach. 🏡

🚨 It is a FREE, THREE day stay.

We provide:
• Safe place to sleep
• Air conditioning
• Shower access
• Kitchen access
• Support and resources

Apply at https://bit.ly/4a1wV0W or SHARE this post with someone who may need it. You never know who might need to see it today 💙

07/18/2026

💜 Today, one of our youth moved into his forever home. 💜

In May, a familiar face walked through the doors of our Drop-In Center. He had just turned 18.

Nearly a year earlier, he had come to us asking for help. He agreed to come back the following week… but he never did.

When he returned this time, he was scared, overwhelmed, and surviving in the electrical closet of a parking garage at the Oceanfront.

People often see an 18-year-old and think, “They’re an adult.” But what they don’t see are the years of abuse, trauma, neglect, and survival that robbed so many of our youth of a childhood. While they may be adults by age, many are still trying to learn what safety, trust, and stability even feel like.

The journey from that parking garage to today was anything but easy.

There were days we couldn’t find him. Days he wandered off. Moments that left us worried sick. There were setbacks, heartbreak, and uncertainty.

But we never gave up on him.

And today…

Today, he moved into his forever home.

A little while later, my phone buzzed with a simple text:

“Thank you. It’s perfect.”

I can’t begin to describe what those words meant.

This is why we do what we do.

Not just to put a roof over someone’s head, but to remind a young person that they matter. That they are worthy of safety. Worthy of love. Worthy of a future.

Tonight, one less young person is wondering where they’ll sleep.

Tonight, one more young person has a place to call home.

And our hearts couldn’t be fuller.

💜 Welcome home. We’re so incredibly proud of you.

07/14/2026

StandUp for Kids believes every young person deserves someone who shows up! Do you have what it takes? I bet you do.. Contact us today to ask how you can help. [email protected]