In 2010, I embarked on my first international volunteer trip to Haiti, and it started with a Red Cross ad while I was sitting in my freshman dorm at Claremont McKenna College. While admittedly cliché, it changed my life.

In 2011, I finished my first Ironman and used the race as well as training program to help fundraise my second international volunteer trip to Honduras and a week trip to Tuscaloosa, AL. At that point, crossing the finish line of the Ironman was my life's greatest accomplishment.

In 2024, I'll be competing in my third Ironman. Over the years, I've spearheaded corporate social responsibility initiatives, knocked doors for political candidates, fundraised for immigration legal services, and hoped for a better community, country, and even planet.

Sometimes, the problems are too hard to envision or even conceptualize, but this year, I want to bring Safe Place for Youth (SPY) into focus.

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority 2020 Homeless Count, there are approximately 4,673 unhoused youth on the streets of LA County on any given night.

Safe Place for Youth is a LA based non-profit. Their goal is to provide critical resources and empower young people to take control of their lives. Through a dozen programs, SPY served 1,718 youth including 495 foster youth in FY22-23. Moreover, SPY housed (including interim, transitional, and permanent) 370 youth.

I believe that unhoused youth is a problem that can be addressed. My hope is for others to believe and act as well.

For those that know me well, it's no secret that I love Los Angeles. However, homelessness is a daily visible reminder that we can do better, and no youth should be without a roof, bed, and warm meal.

Using the Ironman race to drive social change has been a part of my life for over 10 years. So, I'm humbly asking my family, friends, and colleagues to spare whatever you can to help SPY solve the problem of unhoused youth in Los Angeles.

If you have any questions, feedback, or want to learn more about SPY, you can feel free to reach out to me directly on any of the major internet platforms, but also including my LinkedIn as well.

Resources:

Safe Place for Youth | Oliphant Ironman 2024 Fundraiser

Safe Place for Youth is a LA based non-profit. Their goal is to provide critical resources and empower young people to take control of their lives.