In 2025, volunteers showed up for Valley Youth House in real, practical ways, and the impact was felt across our programs and spaces. Over the course of the year, 114 volunteers contributed 5,016 hours of their time to complete 11 projects serving five Valley Youth House sites and locations. Those numbers matter, but what matters more is what those hours made possible. 

One of the highlights of the year was our Spring Volunteer Impact Day. Volunteers rolled up their sleeves to build a brand new client boutique at our Philadelphia office, creating a space where young people can access essentials with dignity. On the same day, another group headed to Allentown to clean and refresh the Silk Lehigh Valley office, helping staff focus on their work in a more comfortable and organized environment. 

Corporate partners played a huge role as well. Through the Niagara Bottling Volunteer Challenge, volunteers refreshed and restored the Camp Fowler garden, bringing new life to a space that youth use for learning, and connection. Volunteers from the Fanatics also supported multiple sites throughout the year, helping set up the Philadelphia client boutique, gardening at our office in Bethlehem, and assembling furniture at Camp Fowler. 

That momentum carried into the fall. During our Fall Volunteer Impact Day, volunteers returned to Silk Lehigh Valley in Allentown to organize the space and also spent time at Camp Fowler, to winterize the garden so it would be ready to thrive again in the spring. These projects might sound simple, but they make a real difference in how our spaces function day to day. 

For the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley’s Day of Caring, a team of volunteers from PPL assembled over 100 welcome kits full of home essentials for youth and families in our housing programs who were getting ready to move into their very own apartments. 

We also saw strong community support during the Silk Lehigh Valley and Lehigh Valley Shelter Garden Day, when volunteers spruced up landscaping and gardens at Silk Lehigh Valley in Allentown and the Lehigh Valley Shelter. 

We are grateful for every person and group who chose to spend their time with Valley Youth House this past year. Their efforts helped strengthen our programs, improve our spaces, and support young people in ways that will continue to matter long after the projects are complete.

If you are interested in receiving more information on volunteer opportunities at Valley Youth House, please click here to complete our Volunteer Interest Form. 

We look forward to working with you in 2026!