Teen Living Programs
Client
Every night more than 2,000 Chicago-area youth have no place to sleep. Teen Living Programs is Chicago's only nonprofit devoted solely to youth homelessness, serving the area's youth for more than 30 years.
Challenge
As a tribute to TLP's good work, Illinois Rep. Danny K. Davis presented the group with seven tickets to Barack Obama's Presidential Inauguration, enabling five of TLP's most successful youth and two chaperones to attend. TLP saw the chance to use this trip as an opportunity to generate support for its work through media exposure.
Enter Reingold
Reingold's multi-phase strategic media relations plan began with a messaging framework and talking points to ensure that all TLP representatives spoke with one voice. Next we created an engaging, informative press kit for TLP to distribute to its media contacts and the additional media outlets and reporters who cover at-risk youth or homelessness identified through our research. We prepped the TLP leadership team with media training for answering tough questions and staying on message. In phase two, Reingold pitched the TLP story to dozens of media outlets, organized a media event at Rep. Davis' Chicago office, and arranged for the TLP group to join in a volunteer event for the needy in Washington, D.C., on the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Results
Reingold and TLP earned coverage for Rep. Davis and the TLP youth on WGN News at Nine and ABC 7 in Chicago, which also featured TLP's volunteer activities in Washington, D.C. Medill News Service ran two stories that were picked up by other Chicagoland newspapers, and WBBM News Radio in Chicago covered the group's trip as well. This exposure led to an increase in requests for service from youth in need as well as new interest from local media outlets.