Tomorrow morning when you wake up in your warm bed, take a hot shower and grab your granola bar, stop and think about students like yourself who aren’t afforded these same luxuries.

More than 337,000 adolescents in Texas are currently living without a roof over their heads or a place to sleep. This staggering statistic inspired Madeline Stokes, AHS junior, and Landon Hackley and Tom Overman, MHS seniors, to create the organization CRASH (Communities Raising Awareness of Student Homelessness). The idea for the project came about in a Mayor’s Youth Commission meeting.

“I think often, there are more organizations designed to benefit young children rather than teenagers who, in some occasions, need more assistance due to the high stress levels put upon them and preparing for college,” Stokes said.

One way the team has decided to combat this homeless youth epidemic is by designing colorful and fashionable pocketed T-shirts with their CRASH logo. From these sales, 25% of the proceeds are donated to SafePlace, an organization created to help and shelter Texas youth.

But clothing isn’t the only way CRASH is helping the community. Every six weeks, the group plans to initiate drives and fundraisers amongst students, teachers and staff to collect necessities for homeless and economically disadvantaged teens in high schools. This six weeks, their objective is to gather school supplies to donate to SafePlace. Items can be dropped off in B219.

To become a CRASH ally, purchase a shirt at www.crashusa.org or contact Stokes at [email protected].