On May 22nd Alison Hurst, a StandUp For Kids (SU4K) volunteer, received StandUp For Kids’ most prestigious award in the nation: Alison was awarded the Outreach Counselor of the Year Award for her outstanding hard work in 2009. She not only dedicated herself to SU4K, but she became a true advocate and supporter of the homeless youth in Los Angeles.
Alison has been volunteering with SU4K for over three years now. She started working as an outreach counselor for Venice outreach. She quickly took on the role of Director of Outreach for Venice and made sure the kids were our #1 priority. Her hard work and passion for the kids truly shows. The kids look forward to seeing her every week at outreach, and if she is not there the kids will ask about her. Our kids really care about Alison because she cares about them. Alison is like a mother to the kids, making sure they have everything they need and doing whatever she can for them. It really takes a special person to do the work Alison does. Back in October 2009, Alison took on the role of Co-Executive Director to help with the operations of the Los Angeles chapter. Since then, Alison has really wowed all of us. She actively seeks out donors for food, clothing, and financial assistance. The fundraisers that Alison coordinated have really helped SU4K LA become a stable and strong organization. If you were to meet Alison and talk about the kids, you would see what a passionate person she is.
The award was presented at the SU4K National Conference and 20th Anniversary Celebration in Denver, CO. The final night of the conference all the programs came together to celebrate 20 years of advocacy and supporting homeless youth. After dinner the award celebration commenced, and when we all heard Alison Hurst’s name called there was a round of applause from everyone in the room. Alison said “It feels great to be acknowledged for the work we do†. I absolutely agree with what she said. This conference has given us volunteers the opportunity to improve the Los Angeles chapter. It is not going to stop in Los Angeles: positive changes are going to happen nationwide.
