January 22, 2015

TriHealth's United Resource Group for Equality spent volunteered Monday, Jan. 19 to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and to help homeless youth in Greater Cincinnati.

As part of a national initiative led by the Human Rights Campaign, TriHealth volunteers helped assemble 875 care packages of travel-size hygiene items for Lighthouse Youth Services. The kits were distributed to three homeless shelters in the city.

Many TriHealth locations, including Bethesda North, Bethesda North Outpatient Imaging, Good Samaritan, TriHealth Fitness & Health Pavilion and breast care centers, collected items at their sites, and more were received through an Amazon.com wishlist for the cause. Julianna Bailey, URGE project leader, coordinated collections.

About 40 percent of homeless youth worldwide identify as LGBT, or lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. In Cincinnati, about it's about 30 percent. Many LGBT youth are homeless because of family rejection, poor self-esteem and bullying.

URGE members thank TriHealth team members for their time and donations toward this cause.