First may I say I serious thank God, for the rejection and trials I encounter when helping the homeless and that is; it makes me stronger and more determined to do what God has called me to do.
It's always a great day when homeless youth somehow nudge gaffe-prone politicians off CNN, however briefly. Today the Cable News Network featured a report on unaccompanied homeless teens in Denver, Colorado, of which there are hundreds. The story opens with Belle, an 18-year-old homeless prostitute whose bruised face betrays a recent beating, which she says from her pimp.
The young people — mainly runaways and foster care dropouts with street names like Magic and Gucci — frequently band together. One group calls themselves Juggalos, like fans of the band Insane Clown Posse. "Juggalos started as a family for outcast people that don't feel like they have family," one member says. "Other people see it as a gang but we just look out for each other."
Their refuge in Denver is Sox Place, a nonprofit drop-in center with the slogan "bringing the father's heart to the fatherless." Monday through Saturday, "street kids" can drop in for hot meals and ping-pong games. Thank goodness for Sox Place, though its existence begs the question: who should step in to prevent youth homelessness before it gets to this level where Sox Place is needed?
One pregnant 20-year-old says she hopes that her son, due in September, doesn't have to "deal with all this." The story doesn't show, though, whether the teen and her boyfriend are anywhere near transitioning to housing before the baby's birth. I'm guessing that's because the answer's no.
A young man named Gucci describes his future to the camera like this: "I'm gonna stand my dream in his face and I'm gonna shake his hand and I'm gonna say, 'tag along wit me.'" His optimism, along with the federal government's new directive to end youth homelessness in 10 years, is almost enough to make you believe he can succeed. Almost.
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