Austin’s House celebrates 5 years with ‘2012 Appeal for Kids’

Austin’s House is celebrating five years of providing care for children in crisis by launching its inaugural campaign, the “2012 Appeal for Kids.”The facility, near the Carson City-Douglas County border, was built entirely with donations from our generous community and opened in September 2007.“We are so fortunate for the support of the surrounding communities over the past five years,” said Kyle Holmstrom, treasurer of the Austin’s House Board of Directors.Holmstrom said the community support has been tremendous but raising the funds necessary to take care of children in crisis, who must be removed from their homes, is always a challenge for Austin’s House.“We are extremely proud of our financial record,” said Holmstrom. “In 2011, we had revenue of $275,000 and expenses of $269,000. Over 75 percent of those expenses were for payroll to directly provide compassionate care for the children. The rest of the expenses are items like insurance, groceries and utilities. Our costs are down to about $100 per child per day. Many of these kids need the utmost attention and care given their circumstances. We provide a terrific level of around-the-clock professional care for these children for less than it would cost me to hire a teenager to come watch one of my own small kids for 24 hours.”Austin’s House directors have traditionally partnered with numerous businesses and groups in the area to raise most of their annual revenue through fundraising events. Going forward, the board is looking to improve the situation by supplementing fundraising efforts with more repetitive giving. “As part of the campaign, we have giving levels for every budget. Our Daily Club is a $100 donation that will care for one child for one day. Other donation levels include the Food Club, Professional Club, and the Go Green Club. These plans pay for a major annual expense such as groceries, insurance or utilities. Room sponsorship is another unique giving option,” Holmstrom said. Anyone interested in learning more about Austin’s House and its campaign or in making a donation can call 775-267-6711 or visit www.austinshouse.org.