About RSO
Meet Reggie
2021 marked 20 years since the passing of Reggie Kelsey and his memory lives on at the heart of this event.
Reggie’s Sleepout was created in 2005 in memory of Reggie Kelsey. Reggie was a young man who aged out of the foster care system in 2001, and within three and a half months, was found dead in the Des Moines River.
Reggie had an endearing personality but suffered from hallucinations and depression. He worried about how he would survive on his own. After being kicked out of his latest foster care placement, Reggie bounced from one shelter to another. Occasionally he camped outside while working with Iowa Homeless Youth Centers’ Street Outreach Program.
As a result of Reggie’s death, Youth & Shelter Services, Inc. (IHYC’s parent organization) led the effort to develop the Iowa Aftercare Services Network to provide services to those aging out of foster care. The program has now been expanded to include a monthly stipend and additional services and is referred to as the Preparation for Adult Living (PAL) program.
Reggie’s Sleepout is named in honor of Reggie, and our commitment to preventing another tragedy.
Why we sleepout
In the year’s following the first Reggie’s Sleepout, YSS and IHYC has been able to continue to expand their services to help homeless and at-risk youth in Central Iowa. As the world around us continues to change so does the methods and areas of focus we utilize with homeless and at-risk youth. Learn about some of the exciting projects we are working on now to improve the lives of our youth and break the cycle of poverty.
