DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, Aviva USA employees will volunteer at Iowa Homeless Youth Centers in support of the inaugural International Day for Street Children: Louder Together, a global campaign giving voice to the millions of homeless children worldwide.
Today and Friday, employee volunteers will paint at the Buchanan Transitional Living Center, 1219 Buchanan Street, in Des Moines. On Thursday, volunteers will be at the group’s Outreach Center, 701 Grand Avenue. Volunteers will work each day from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
“Through our Street to School initiative, Aviva USA is deeply committed to supporting local programs that help the youth in our communities,” said Chris Littlefield, Aviva USA president and chief executive officer. “Our Street to School program focuses on identifying and helping homeless children receive education and training. The mission and outreach of Iowa Homeless Youth Centers aligns nicely with this commitment.”
Iowa Homeless Youth Centers operates an outreach program that finds unsheltered young people living on the streets and places them into two residential transitional living programs. Through this effort, young people have a safe place to live and receive education, employment and the life skills needed to be successful adults. The organization also operates an aftercare services program to assist youth who are aging out of foster care. Iowa Homeless Youth Centers served more than 500 youth in 2010, and expects to serve at least that many this year.
“We are extremely happy to play a key role in this international effort by Aviva,” said Brad Whipple, director of Iowa Homeless Youth Centers. “We see homeless children every day in central Iowa. Their needs are great and their voices must be heard. We appreciate what Aviva and its employees are doing to help youth locally and around the world.”
In the Des Moines area, Aviva USA also directly helps children through its partnership with the United Way of Central Iowa. Each September, Aviva USA sponsors the United Way and Des Moines Public Schools’ Reach Out to Dropouts day. Through Reach Out to Dropouts, Aviva USA, United Way and community volunteers locate youth who did not return to school in the current academic year and encourages them to re-enroll. In addition, the program links them with appropriate school support staff.
As the sixth-largest insurance company in the world, Aviva operates in 28 countries and is committed to the plight of homeless youth. Aviva’s corporate goal is to help 500,000 children worldwide get off the streets and into school or training over the next five years. At the end of last year – the first full year of the company’s Street to School activity – Aviva had helped 128,000 children worldwide. Aviva is proud to support the International Day for Street Children, which is being recognized across the world, including by street children in Morocco, Uganda, Ethiopia, Guatemala and India; school children in the UK; students in Ireland; politicians in Tanzania and the UK; the Consortium for Street Children and its 60 members in more than 130 countries.
About Aviva USA
Aviva USA is a sales leader of indexed life insurance and indexed annuities. Headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, Aviva USA also has offices in Topeka, Kan., and Melville, N.Y. Aviva USA has approximately 1 million customers and employs more than 1,500 people across the country. Aviva USA is part of Aviva plc and can trace its presence in the United States back to 1896.
About Iowa Homeless Youth Centers
Iowa Homeless Youth Centers works to eliminate homelessness among children, youth and young mothers in Polk County. With citizen support and assistance, IHYC helps homeless individuals and families live independently and attain self-sufficiency. More information at IHYC can be found at www.iowahomelessyouth.org.