They look much older than they really are. Lines of a hard
life impressed on their young faces. Some of them are legally of age other are
not there yet. All of them are struggling to make it; day-to-day, alone on the
streets, each has a story to tell. Meet two of the over 2 million homeless
youth that live in America today.
Marcus (18)
I have been on the streets for six years. My mother was an
addict and raised me in the back of a car. I have never slept in a bed. I went
to school on and off and really enjoyed the stability when I had it. My dad
left the picture the day I was born, and my mother had not heard from him until
I turned ten. They hooked up again, and we pretended to be a family for a
little while. However, he suffered from severe depression and ended up leaving
six months after he showed up. We were never sure where he went. My mother went
a little wild after my dad left and got arrested for a long line of petty crime
and ended up in jail. Since no one knew she had a child, I was on my own. I
hooked up with some friends of my mothers who lived in a park, stayed with them
for a while, and have been traveling around from city to city since that time.
I have held down a few jobs, but mostly I just wander. I am not sure what the future
holds for me. I would like to get my high school diploma and maybe go to college
one day. Living on the streets has taught me how to be resourceful; how to stay
low and how grateful I will be to one day have a real bed to sleep in.
Devon (16)
I grew up just like many other kids in America. I had a
great room, cool parents, played the piano and loved my dog. I was a Girl
Scout, honors student and in the photography club at school. I was secure,
confident, happy and loved until my dad died in a sudden car accident and my
mom had to figure out how to care for five kids, a massive mortgage and debt
that she was unaware he even had. My mother had not even worked outside of the
home she was always the diligent homemaker, and made sure we all had enough to
eat, clean sheets and a warm hug each day. After my dad’s death, my mother
became a different person and one thing led to another, and we found ourselves having
to move from our suburban home to a small apartment on the other side of town.
I had to go to a different school and had a hard time adjusting. She eventually started drinking and could not
hold down her job. My younger siblings went to live with relatives, but there
really wasn’t room for me. I decided to stay with friends but ended up leaving
shortly afterwards because I never felt accepted. I now live with a group of young
people; we have different places where we stay. The nicest place I have ever
stayed was in a tent for six months. That was like the Hilton compared to some
of the other places I have been. My goal is to get back in school and train to
be a carpenter, as I love to build stuff. I have been thinking of just showing
up at school one day and hoping that someone will be able to help me. I am
tired of being alone.
About the Author: Susan Patterson is a freelance writer and
a homeschooling mother with a passion for kids. She recently wrote an article
on the importance of homeless shelter software.
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