Robert Vysther—Daybreak’s Longest Consecutive Year Donor—27 years and counting.
“I had an opportunity to help and I did,” says Robert Vysther.
It seems like a simple statement, but what some may not know is Robert has made a tremendous impact on homeless youth for twenty-seven years! Robert is Daybreak’s longest consecutive year donor. Naturally, we wanted to get to know Robert and learn why he cares so much about helping homeless youth.
Robert first learned about Daybreak in 1997 when he saw a Daybreak display at a Barnes & Noble store. Robert was impressed by the display and took home a brochure given to him by a Daybreak youth. “When I went back home, I read about it (Daybreak) and I thought I want to help. I liked the hands-on approach to help the kids get back on their feet and help them get out of circumstances beyond their control.”
Robert says his life experiences are the reason why he’s been a philanthropist throughout his life. While he was in the Army, Robert went overseas to Germany and was connected to a German family. In Germany he learned about their strong social programs and how they impacted the local communities and realized that helping those in your community was a value he wanted to incorporate into his life.
Robert stresses that anyone could experience some of the challenges that Daybreak youth face, “You could be in that spot too. How are other people going to help you? Homeless youth are human beings. We can’t just forget about them. They’re the future of America.”