Young and homeless - Unfashionable Reality
Monday, December 19, 2011
Being homeless and young is an extremely unfashionable and difficult challenge. Most of us know a youth in this situation. We call them different things - homeless, runaways, couch-surfers, street kids, orphans, victims of human trafficking. The bottom line is they are teens at one of the most difficult times of life and alone because the adults who are supposed to care for them can’t or won’t. Watch the video below made by a group of teens from Oregon in the U.S. who sum up youth homelessness:
We recently had the chance to spend time with some of the girls at Covenant House in New York City. The youth we met were caring to each other and working hard to find out what could be next in their life. They are like any teen girl you know - so full of promise.
Like all global issues, this problem will not be solved with one simple solution, but it is preventable and the enormous potential of a young adult can be rediscovered. Get the facts about being young and homeless with the largest organization changing lives for homeless youth in the Americas - Covenant House International.
If you know a young person who is in crisis, please help them call:
Covenant House Nine Line ( Americas) 1 800 999 9999
Canada Kids Help Phone 1 800 668 6868
UK Childline 0800 1111
Australia Kids Helpline 1 800 55 1800
Israel, New Zealand, Hong Kong & More - 24 Hour Free Hotlines for youth
Help for Parents Worldwide - Missing Children
