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July’s Charity of the Month: Seton Youth Shelter

Brian P. Winfield, CLU, plays basketball with a Seton Youth Shelter resident.

For the last 20 years, Brian P. Winfield, CLU, a 32-year MDRT member and Diamond Knight has played an instrumental role in helping youth who are homeless and in crisis find help in even the darkest of times.

Through his volunteer efforts at Seton Youth Shelter — a nonprofit organization that provides emergency shelter, counseling and mentoring for youth at-risk — Winfield has touched the lives of youth who often leave home to escape abuse and neglect.

During the 2008 MDRT Annual Meeting in Toronto, the MDRT Foundation awarded Winfield of Virginia Beach, Virginia with a $10,000 Quality of Life Grant in honor of his volunteer commitment to Seton Youth Shelter. This grant will be used to fund counseling and educational programs.

"[Winfield] has supported many special fundraisers and served as a spokesperson on behalf of at-risk youth,” explained Kathryn R. Jeffries, executive director of Seton Youth Shelters. “His dedication to youth and to helping others in need is apparent through his involvement with our programs.”

Seton Youth Shelters serves youth between the ages of 9 and 18 throughout Virginia. Through a youth development approach that incorporates family counseling, the goal for all residents is to encourage family reunification. Currently, more than 90 percent of youth who have received shelter and counseling are reunited with their families.

Seton Youth Shelters also provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, and all services are provided free of charge to youth and families. In the past year alone, more than 9,000 youth and families were served by Seton Youth Shelters.