TEENS TACKLE HOMELESSNESS (TTH)

Welcome to Teens Tackle Homelessness! 

​​

About Teens Tackle Homelessness: 

 

Teens Tackle Homelessness (TTH) is a youth-led volunteer program that gives high school students the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in their community through service, fundraising, donation drives, advocacy, and leadership.

​​

TTH is a program of Bridges Outreach, giving students the opportunity to learn about homelessness, support the organization’s work, encourage their peers, and turn their concern for others into action.​

​

During the 2025–2026 academic year, TTH grew to 70 student members and made an incredible impact:

​

• More than 10,000 lunches were packed and delivered to Bridges Outreach for distribution to those in need.

​

• Raised more than $25,000 through fundraising efforts and collected in-kind donations to support Bridges Outreach and the people it serves.

​

• TTH hosted a variety of events throughout the year, including a student conference, Puppy Yoga, and large-scale packing events, including one where students packed more than 1,000 lunches in just 90 minutes.​

​​​

Behind TTH is also a dedicated community of parents who continue to make the program possible through their time, energy, and generosity. Parents have opened their homes for Sunday packing events, helped organize supplies, supported students, and pitched in wherever needed.

​​

TTH is about more than volunteering. It is about giving teens the opportunity to lead, serve, learn, and inspire others to make a difference.

 

About Bridges Outreach: 

 

Bridges Outreach, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping solve homelessness and making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.

​

For more than 35 years, Bridges has worked with individuals experiencing homelessness and housing instability by building relationships, connecting people to resources, and providing support focused on housing, health, and long-term stability.

​

Based in Summit and Newark, New Jersey, Bridges primarily serves individuals and communities in Essex, Union, and Somerset Counties. TTH and Bridges have distinct roles, but share a common commitment: helping create stronger communities and supporting people on their path toward stability and independence.

​

Who Is Eligible to Join?​

​

General membership is open to all students in grades 9 through 12. General members are expected to attend one meeting per month, which will be held at The Oakes Center, located at 120 Morris Avenue, Summit, New Jersey, 07901. These monthly meetings may include activities such as packing hygiene kits and lunches, writing letters to donors, crafting notes of encouragement, and brainstorming service initiatives.

​

Members in 10th grade and above will automatically be admitted to the TTH Leadership Council. Leadership Council members are expected to attend one to two additional meetings per month. These meetings will involve strategic planning, event coordination, fundraising strategy, and social media and outreach planning.

​

Leadership roles will be assigned at the beginning of the year. Available positions include Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Event Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator, and Fundraising Chair.