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12 GoodLifeFamilyMag.com SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2015 Continued From Page 11 Other studies have shown that 20 to 40 percent of homeless youth identify as Les- bian Gay Bisexual or Transgender LGBT. While these LGBT homeless youth face many of the same risk factors as homeless youth that identify as heterosexual such as the absence of caring adults in their lives estrangement from family and a lack of shelter and constructive opportunities they are also burdened with discrimination and bullying. As stated before the teen years are already rife with anxiety and stress under the best of circumstances without having the additional strain of not having an adult looking out for your welfare. Therefore it is not surprising that homeless youth often suffer from greater risk of severe anxiety and depression suicide poor health and nutrition and low self-esteem. The reasons for the increased homelessness in the youth population usually fall into three interrelated categories family problems economic problems and resi- dential instability. Disruptive family conditions are the most common reason that youth leave home. These family dynamics can include physical mental or sexual abuse neglect substance abuse or mental illness within the home teen pregnancy or rejection because a teen is LGBT. Kim Hinkle Executive Director of Journey to Dream an organization that works with at risk youth in North Texas states The biggest misconception is that these are bad troubled kids. A lot of times their fam- ilies are in the nicest neighborhoods in the school district with lots of money. But they come from an abusive environment and they have to leave that situation. There are also a number of cases where youth are asked to leave the home because the family is unable to provide for a teens specific mental health or disability needs or the families simply cant afford to care for the teen. Some youth may become homeless if their families experience a financial crisis and there is no affordable housing limited employment opportunities insufficient wages no medical insur- ance or inadequate welfare benefits. Some teens become homeless with their fami- lies but are later separated from them because of child welfare policies or arbitrary shelter rules. Finally many homeless youth have aged out of the foster care system. These teens are discharged from their residential or institutional placements because of their age but they often have little or no income support and limited housing options and are therefore more likely to end up on the streets. So where do these homeless kids turn for help Sadly there is a severe shortage of options for them. Samantha Batko Director Homelessness Research Institute says If they are lucky a homeless youth gets a shelter bed or sleeps on a friend or family members couch. If they are unlucky they sleep on the streets in cars in abandoned buildings they may ride public transit all night or they may barter sex for a place to stay. The important point is that every night homeless youth are turned away from shelter and housing programs because of a lack of capacity. Many homeless teens resort to couch surfing. Couch surfing is defined as situa- tions where homeless youth are living in unstable andor temporary living arrange- ments such as the couches or spare bedrooms of friends boyfriendsgirlfriends or other family members. Couch surfing may seem like a safe alternative to living on the street. Staying with friends seems preferable to a shelter but again these teens are extremely vulnerable and are often forced to engage in unsafe or illegal activities such as prostitution dealing drugs or theft as a way of keeping a place to stay mak- ing money or just surviving. Journey to Dream and City House are two North Texas organizations that are making strides in helping homeless youth in our community. JOURNEY TO DREAM KYLES PLACE JourneytoDreamJTDwasfoundedin2004bytwomomsKim Hinkle and Kari Rusco whose vision was to support kids silently struggling with the isolation and chaos that addiction and abuse often bring. Since its inception the organization has positively impacted more than 80000 students through school assemblies youth development and enrichment groups and community outreach. All of JTDs programs are aimed at empowering young people with the tools necessary to overcome adversity and achieve their goals and dreams. JTD is contracted with Lewisville Indepen- dent School District one of the largest districts in NorthTexas and has provided programs for many other school districts in the area. ThepeopleatJTDmakeadifferenceinthelivesofsufferingteens in three ways they embrace equip and empower. One thing most teens have in common is the need to be accepted. Many have had theirworldsturnedupsidedownbydivorceabuseaddictiondeath and homelessness. The teen years are difficult enough as young people are trying to figure out who they are where they belong and who they can trust. JTD embraces these teens who are facing additional challenges and works to provide a safe place for hurting teens to develop a strong sense of self-worth and belonging. JTDS programs also work to equip teens with the tools they need to develop into self sufficient productive and healthy adults. Manyteensdonotgettheguidancetheyneedtolearntocopewith difficult emotions to learn how to communicate with others in a healthy and respectful way or how to resolve conflict and set nec- essary boundaries in life. Hinkle who is also the Executive Director of JTD saysIts about teaching them what a healthy relationship is and isnt. Once teens are equipped with these essential life skills they are empowered to use their own voice for positive change on their school campus or in their community. JTD encourages them to use their personal story of overcoming adversity to inspire others who are similarly struggling. Hinkle relays that during the course of their work and interac- tionwithstudentsatvariouslocalhighschoolstheydiscoveredthe hidden epidemic of youth homelessness. Now JTD is taking on its most challenging endeavor yet Kyles Place. In 2012 JTD lost a student named Kyle in a devastating tragedy. Around this same time they were becoming more aware of the growing prevalence of teen homelessness. The vision of JTD is that it will be a home for hurting and homeless teens and will provide them with a safe placetosleephealthymealseverydaybasicnecessitieshelpwith schoolworkandsafeadultsthatwilllovethembacktolife. Hinkle saysOur priority will always be to reunite these teens with family when its possible but when its not to give them a strong support system that will help them succeed as adults. JTD wants Kyles Place to embody the same love and compassion the same huge hugs and smiles and the same integrity that Kyle exemplified. JTDwillhosttheirDreamBigGalaonNovember7inLew- isville. Funds raised at this event will be used to make the dream of Kyles Place a reality. For more information on the event see the Calendar of Events in this issue of Good Life Family Magazine. WHY KYLES PLACE Because there are homeless teens without a safe place to sleep tonight. Because human traffickers are looking for them. Because instead of studying theyre worried about if they will have food to eat and a place to sleep. Our hearts desire is to see every young person physically emotionally and spiritually healthy ready to take on all the challenges the real world offers - and succeed. - Journey to Dream