"As the need for those who are unsheltered grows, local organizations like PATH continues to step up and help. This time the focus is on helping veterans."
At just 18, Brayden Pape is determined to make a difference, doing his part to address the concerns of the unsheltered.
Years ago he got involved with PATH, the organization that provides support in-house services, and housing for the homeless.
From July 2022 to June 2023, the organization has served more than 6,000 people and have housed close to 4,000 people.
Pape says, “These are human beings just like us they need the same things we have for them to reach their full potential.”
Pape started off helping in the kitchen, but he knew he wanted to do more.
So he helped create Path’s Interscholastic Leadership Team which is student run. They organize drives and collections, the most recent task, collecting chrome books from High School students. With the intention of distributing them to Veterans trying to get back on their feet.
He adds, "it's very important because we have people who have served our country but once they leave the military they don't have anywhere to go.”
The goal is to give veterans the tools they need to succeed.
“They're really going to help our homeless veterans find employment and sustain that employment whether that's getting certificates or if they use it to work from home," Dr. Casey Adamson , the Director of Community Care for PATH, says.
And even though Pape is heading off to college he’s confident, PATH’s Interscholastic Leadership team will continue its mission to serve others in need.
"I learned that you can't judge a book by its cover," Pape says.
