Teen HYPE hosts ‘An Evening in Paradise Valley’

Detroit nonprofit Teen HYPE serves more than 3,000 kids in and around the city, and they could use a boost. The organization is kicking off its fourth annual charity benefit on Friday, “An Evening in Paradise Valley.”

Friday’s event will feature live jazz by Detroit’s own Collective Peace, 1920s-style craft cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, as well as raffle items from metro Detroit businesses like Shinola and Bleu Boutique. Guests can also enjoy tours of the Ford Piquette Avenue automotive museum, where the event is hosted.

“We needed a way to raise funds to recognize the purpose. We want local dignitaries, young professionals, new entrepreneurs of Detroit to come and know more. However to celebrate the work we do. With this Gala it allows us to do more,” Ambra Redrick, Teen HYPE’s CEO, tells BLAC.

In the beginning, Teen HYPE – the HYPE is Helping Youth by Providing Education – had simple goals of creating expressive teenage monologues with high-quality programming to generate a generation of healthy young people. But its mission expanded to providing other services, such as health education and safe space. “We provide teens with services to make healthy decisions,” Redrick says.

Students who participate in the program having a high school graduation rate of 100 percent, and the mentorship doesn’t end there. The organizaiton continues to push young adults to strive for their future goals.

“People may think it’s easy, but it’s challenging for 18-24 adults. We have teens who are attending college in the fall but with no supplies. In addition, many of them are going through a crisis at home,” said Redrick. “We focus on college tours and the development on each teen. We want to get them exposed to the right materials that fit their specific needs and goals.”

Visit www.teenhype.org for more information on Friday’s charity benefit and the organization.