COSTA MESA, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 16, 2013) - In the U.S. alone, there are about 2 million youths who experience homelessness every year. To help end youth homelessness, empower young people and provide them with the tools they need, Sevenly.org (http://www.sevenly.org) announced today their partnership with Virgin Mobile USA's The RE*Generation (http://www.virginmobileusa.com/virgin-mobile-life/regeneration-past-about) and Mark Horvath, the founder of Invisible People (http://invisiblepeople.tv/blog).
"Sevenly.org believes above all else that people matter, every single person, especially our youth. Nearly 40 percent of our homeless population are children, with more than 40 percent under the age of five. We need to come together as a nation and help these kids by giving them a fighting chance to not only survive, but thrive," said Dale Partridge, CEO of Sevenly.org. "Through our partnership with Virgin Mobile and Mark Horvath, we plan to do exactly that."
Sevenly.org is a cause-activation platform. Just two years old, the company has already donated more than $2.5 million to charities around the world. For seven days, starting today through September 23, $7 of every purchase made on Sevenly.org -- from one-of-a-kind branded T-shirts and hoodies for adults and children created by up-and-coming artists, to lifestyle products like accessories and home décor -- will go to The RE*Generation, Virgin Mobile USA's seven-year old charitable initiative. Through this partnership, Sevenly.org and RE*Generation will bring together organizations that are dedicated to helping homeless youth, connecting them with people who want to help and giving them a chance to succeed. Virgin Mobile USA will provide a matching donation of up to $50,000.
"More than 100,000 youth sleep on the street for six months or more in America -- that is unacceptable. Our goal at RE*Generation has been to connect those in need to the right people and organizations to help them improve their lives, and we're doing that again by partnering with Sevenly.org," said Felicia Hill-Martin, who oversees The RE*Generation at Virgin Mobile USA. "Our youth deserve every chance they can get and with the funds raised at Sevenly.org, we can provide invaluable resources and manpower to make sure we help as many homeless young people as we can."
To create additional awareness and support around youth homelessness, Invisible People's founder Mark Horvath, who was previously homeless himself, kicked off a seven-city tour in late August, including visits to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Denver and Las Vegas. In each city, he visited shelters to capture the heart-aching stories of our homeless youth, as well as those dedicated to helping them; the videos can be seen on InvisiblePeople.tv. Mark will culminate his tour on September 17 at the newly constructed RE*Generation House located in Washington, D.C. Mark will also be attending Virgin Mobile USA's FreeFest at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Md. on September 21, where world-renowned musicians will perform to help end youth homelessness.
"I understand where these kids are coming from. I was homeless myself, but with the help and kindness of others, I was able get out of my dire situation. Our homeless youth deserve that chance and much more," said Horvath. "These kids need compassion, guidance and care. With Sevenly.org and The RE*Generation, I believe we can really make a significant difference."
Sevenly.org is leading a generation towards generosity. Virgin Mobile USA launched The RE*Generation in 2006 to help a generation help its own. For more information, please visit:
- Sevenly.org: http://www.Sevenly.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevenly.org
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sevenly
- Virgin Mobile USA: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/regeneration
About Sevenly.org
Sevenly.org is a co-profit company founded in June 2011 to raise capital and awareness for the world's greatest causes. Each week Sevenly.org partners with one qualified nonprofit to sell apparel and lifestyle cause products specifically designed for that week's campaign. Seven dollars from each item sold is always donated to the featured charity. The company's goal is to provide support to charities through increased awareness, funding and following. To learn more about Sevenly.org, visit www.sevenly.org.
About Virgin Mobile USA
Virgin Mobile USA, one of Sprint's prepaid brands, offers millions of customers control, flexibility and connectivity through Virgin Mobile's Beyond Talk™ No Contract plans with unlimited 3G and 4G data for mobile phone service, including Android-powered smartphones and prepaid Broadband2Go high-speed Web access on the Nationwide Sprint Network. Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk monthly unlimited data plans, which start at $35, are ideal for those smartphone users hungry for the most connectivity and the least amount of voice minutes. Virgin Mobile-branded devices are available at more than 40,000 retail stores, including Target, Walmart, Best Buy, RadioShack, and Virgin Mobile stores. Top-Up cards are available at approximately 150,000 locations nationwide. Experience Virgin Mobile on the Web at Facebook, Twitter and You Tube and purchase Virgin Mobile USA products at www.virginmobileusa.com.
About Invisible People
Invisible People is a grassroots nonprofit founded in 2008 by advocate Mark Horvath. After a successful career, Mark found himself homeless in 1995 following a battle with addiction. He cleaned up his act, and was living comfortably by 2007 but then the recession hit. After several layoffs and a foreclosure, he was once again facing homelessness. That's when Mark launched InvisiblePeople.tv with just $45 and an interest in social media. Mark has been featured by the L.A. Times, CNN, CBS, Mashable.com, MTV, NPR and The Ricki Lake Show. The Huffington Post named him one of 11 Twitter activists you should follow. Mark has consulted for LA Police Department, City of San Francisco, and USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism, and more.
Contact Information:
Editorial Contact:
Kathy Kwon for Sevenly.org
kathyekwon@gmail.com
310.435.0812