Let me say first, that it takes quite a bit to surprise me when it comes to youth ministry. We have been working with youth for about 13 years now in various ministries and community activities. I am going to share some statistics with you that came to me through a text chain of youth ministers. This may startle you, but I hope that it will spur us all on to action.
10 facts about homeless young people!!
1. There are approximately 1.7 million homeless teens in the U.S.
2. 39 percent of the homeless population is young people under 18.
3. About 75 percent of homeless teens use drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with the traumatic experiences and abuse they face.
4. 5,000 young people die every year because of assault, illness, or suicide while on the street.
5. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found that 46 percent of homeless youth left their home because of physical abuse. 17 percent left because of sexual abuse.
6. Over 50 percent of young people in shelters and on the streets report that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving and didn't care.
7. The average age a teen becomes homeless is 14.7 years.
8. 1 in 7 young people between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away.
9. Teens age 12 to 17 are more likely to become homeless than adults.
10. HIV rates for homeless young people are 2 to 10 times higher than reported rates for other samples of adolescents in the U.S.
The following are links that would seem to support these 10 facts. I include them for support of the facts, not because I agree with or support any organizations behind these links. I have not taken the time to research each group, but I believe that people care and that is why these companies exist.
http://deborahsdunham.com/2013/01/05/10-facts-about-homeless-youth-that-will-surprise-you/
http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-homeless-youth
http://www.safehorizon.org/index/what-we-do-2/helping-youth-14/streetwork-homeless-youth-facts-220.html
http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx
http://www.myinterestingfacts.com/homelessness-facts/
What's next? How do we help? What should we be doing? These are all questions that I have asked myself over the last several day. The honest answer for me is, I cannot do enough. If I devoted all of my time to this worthy cause, it would not be enough. If I gave all of my money to this worthy cause, it would not be enough. If I exhausted all of my physical strength in alerting people of this worthy cause, it would not be enough. Now, before you persecute me, I do not believe this to be a reason for me to do nothing. I want to do all that I can. Yes, they have physical needs and they need to be met, but what about their greatest need? Only Jesus can meet their every need. He is the only one who can make a real difference in their life!
This is why I write to all of you. What are some ways that you have helped in this cause? How can we make a difference in the lives of those who have lost their way?
10 facts about homeless young people!!
1. There are approximately 1.7 million homeless teens in the U.S.
2. 39 percent of the homeless population is young people under 18.
3. About 75 percent of homeless teens use drugs or alcohol as a means to self-medicate to deal with the traumatic experiences and abuse they face.
4. 5,000 young people die every year because of assault, illness, or suicide while on the street.
5. A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services study found that 46 percent of homeless youth left their home because of physical abuse. 17 percent left because of sexual abuse.
6. Over 50 percent of young people in shelters and on the streets report that their parents told them to leave or knew they were leaving and didn't care.
7. The average age a teen becomes homeless is 14.7 years.
8. 1 in 7 young people between the ages of 10 and 18 will run away.
9. Teens age 12 to 17 are more likely to become homeless than adults.
10. HIV rates for homeless young people are 2 to 10 times higher than reported rates for other samples of adolescents in the U.S.
The following are links that would seem to support these 10 facts. I include them for support of the facts, not because I agree with or support any organizations behind these links. I have not taken the time to research each group, but I believe that people care and that is why these companies exist.
http://deborahsdunham.com/2013/01/05/10-facts-about-homeless-youth-that-will-surprise-you/
http://www.dosomething.org/actnow/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-homeless-youth
http://www.safehorizon.org/index/what-we-do-2/helping-youth-14/streetwork-homeless-youth-facts-220.html
http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx
http://www.myinterestingfacts.com/homelessness-facts/
What's next? How do we help? What should we be doing? These are all questions that I have asked myself over the last several day. The honest answer for me is, I cannot do enough. If I devoted all of my time to this worthy cause, it would not be enough. If I gave all of my money to this worthy cause, it would not be enough. If I exhausted all of my physical strength in alerting people of this worthy cause, it would not be enough. Now, before you persecute me, I do not believe this to be a reason for me to do nothing. I want to do all that I can. Yes, they have physical needs and they need to be met, but what about their greatest need? Only Jesus can meet their every need. He is the only one who can make a real difference in their life!
This is why I write to all of you. What are some ways that you have helped in this cause? How can we make a difference in the lives of those who have lost their way?