One Million Acts of Compassion for Homeless Youth

Residents of Springfield, Missouri were flabbergasted when they learned that their most recent homeless count turned up over 450 homeless youth between the ages of 11 and 22, half of whom were thrown out of their homes. Who are these kids?, they wondered. And more important since teens have a way of hiding in the shadows, where are they? In Springfield's Greene County, homeless youth estimates totaled between 950 and 1,450 for ages 12 to 17. Compare this to 1,800 homeless youth in the entire state of Minnesota, which has a similarly-sized population (not that 1,800 is a good thing, in any case).

Although the numbers are troubling, they also have the potential to be transformative for the Springfield community, where few had been alerted to the problem. This isn't true only for Springfield; youth homelessness is low on the radar all over the country. Often, the focus is on families with children, veterans or chronically homeless individuals. Too often, teens blend in with their housed peers, all the while sleeping in parks or on couches and sometimes prostituting themselves to get by. While all homeless people deserve attention, let us not forget about our youth.

Only a handful of people in Springfield, like the good folks at the Rare Breed Outreach Center, have been trying to end youth homelessness there, despite the dismay of many who listened, in shock, at the results of the youth homelessness count. Remember the words of Changemaker Neil Donovan, "We can end homelessness if every American did just one ordinary act of compassion or one million Americans did just one extraordinary act of compassion. But, perhaps the truth will be that ending homelessness must fall on the few, those who have chosen a life of service, and we can only hope that will be enough." Let it not be the case that the work falls on a few. Decades of the homeless crisis have proven that this is not enough to end homelessness.

Don't let your representatives forget about our homeless youth. Sign our petition to end youth homelessness. Pass it on to your friends. Find out about youth homelessness in your community and give a helping hand. And if you are pressed for time, charitable donations are always welcome. The Rare Breed, for instance, is in need of everything from $50,000 to deodorant and headphones. Remember, all it takes from you is one act. More, however, is always welcome. Our youth will thank you.

Photo credit: That Canadian Grrl