Elevate Youth Services in Barre, Vt., has received a $500,000 endowment gift to support youth homelessness services, the organization announced earlier this month. Leadership said the donation, which comes from the Burlington-based Courtney and Victoria Buffum Family Foundation, will provide the nonprofit a much-needed financial cushion and help enable continued services for young people experiencing housing insecurity. Elevate operates a number of housing services primarily for youth aged 18 to 24, including 16 emergency shelter beds, six transitional housing placements, and a rent voucher program, as well as a five-bed facility for minors in state custody. Youth homelessness is an ongoing concern in Vermont, according to housing advocates. The goal at Elevate, Ellis said, is to build a new sense of community among residents in the nonprofit’s shared living spaces.