Champions of Runaway and Homeless Youth Receive Honors

National Network for Youth is proud to honor VIRGIN MOBILE with the Golden Pen Award. REPRESENTATIVE RUBEN HINOJOSA and XM RADIO are "Champions of Runaway and Homeless Youth". These awards honor those who work to educate about Runaway and Homeless Youth.

"Virgin Mobile has done an amazing job of raising the awareness level of Runaway and Homeless Youth in this past year," says Victoria Wagner, President and CEO of NN4Y.

Virgin Mobile has engaged youth to educate about and be responsible for "their own". They are empowering youth to make a difference by bringing together organizations on America's homelessness and connecting with young people.

Representative Hinojosa is a tireless advocate working on behalf of runaway and homeless youth across the nation. His introduction of the Place to Call Home Act only served to illustrate his dedication to ending youth homelessness.

XM Radio will also be honored for their report on the Bob Edwards show.

All will receive honors at the "Champions of Youth" dinner at the National Network for Youth's Symposium 2008: A Blueprint for the Future, on Tuesday, January 29, 2008, at 6:30PM at The Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St, NW, Washington, DC.

NN4Y spokesperson, Chris "Kazi" Rolle, will present these awards. A former homeless youth, Kazi's changed his life when he committed himself to youth issues through writing, working in shelters, and creating the Hip Hop Project (hiphopproject.org), an award-winning artist development program.

There are 2.5 million disconnected, unaccompanied and/or homeless youth in our country. Founded in 1975, National Network for Youth (www.nn4youth.org) is a membership organization seeking to ensure that all young people can be safe and lead healthy and productive lives.

Other Honorees:

* Lifetime Achievement Award- Mitch Weynand, LifeWorks, Austin, TX
* Executive Leadership Award of Excellence - Jim Braun, Youth in Need, St. Louis
* Agency of the Year Award- Green Chimneys- New York
* Advocacy Spirit Award- Dee Richter – Florida Network of Youth Services, FL.
* Youth Worker of the Year - Nidia Escobar- Children's Hospital, Los Angeles
* Youth Worker of the Year- Shari McPeek – Family Resources, Inc., Pinellas County, FL.