#NOT1GJ
The Grand Junction community gathers to support homeless teens, through the House fundraiser Night on the Street
and Development Coordinator at the House. A common misconception is that homelessness amongst teens in the Grand Valley does not exist because youth When I was 18, me and my mom who had been fighting homelessness is harder to spot. People need to know pretty much all my life had a really big falling out and her that this is a problem that has steadily been growing in boyfriend at the time would always just go against me, and recent years. On average there are over seven hundred my mom would always take his side so eventually I left. I students district wide that have decided not to live with my family “I think the most important thing is been registered as homeless. Three anymore and I didn’t really have a to be aware, and to be aware in a hundred of those are high school place to go so I ended up on the students. streets for a while. Eventually, I found non-judgmental way.” When you think of a homeless the House and when I was admitted, Belinda Howery, lead D51 student advocate person, you probably think of I found out that I had depression and someone sleeping on a cardboard box on the street or on a couple other issues that I needed to work through. a park bench. Although there are teens who are homeless This is the life of a homeless teen as told by Alex in the stereotypical sense, many homeless teens are just Wagner. couch surfing, crashing with a friend, living out of their cars, On Sept. 27, the House, a non-profit organization that in tents, or living in substandard homes as outlined by the provides temporary housing and basic living needs, held US Department of Housing and Urban Development. a fundraiser called Night on the Street at Colorado Mesa “I think the most important thing is to be aware, and University. People from the community were encouraged to be aware in a non- judgemental way,” said Belinda to pitch a tent and spend a “night on the street” so a Howery, lead advocate for the R.E.A.C.H. program. The homeless teen wouldn’t have to. Resources, Education, and Advocacy for Children Who But the fundraiser wasn’t just to raise money, it was also to raise awareness of the steadily growing number of are Homeless (R.E.A.C.H.) Program, in District 51 was established in 2003 to provide homeless students with teens without a home, said Sharon Bouse-Ferry, Volunteer by ashley guddat
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