Bridge the Gap for Homeless Youth

It has been an exciting and busy few months for LAYC’s Safe Housing program! In June, the Safe Housing participants and staff joined a group from the National Coalition for the Homeless and the Ali Forney Center to a rally in New York City to launch the National Campaign for Youth Shelter. This is a collaboration that will build a grassroots campaign to demand a national response to youth homelessness. During the rally, LAYC youth and staff listened to short speeches by leaders in the LGBT movement and the movement to end youth homelessness. The youth also had the opportunity to be interviewed for Lost in America, a documentary that gives homeless youth a platform to talk about their experiences.

One of these youth is Joni, 21. Joni has been an LAYC participant for six years. At 15, her mother put her out on the street when she learned Joni was gay. Joni took the train from South Carolina to DC with her girlfriend. Soon after arriving in the city, Joni fainted (she did not know she had high blood pressure) and checked herself into an emergency room. The hospital contacted the local authorities, and that is how Joni became a participant in LAYC’s Safe Housing program. In the last six years, Joni has taken advantage of every opportunity to learn and experience new things, including participating in community service, GED classes, and job training. Today, Joni lives in LAYC’s LGBT transitional housing program and is weeks from sitting for GED and customer service certification exams. She plans to go to college and major in business administration.

LGBT youth are disproportionately over-represented in the homeless youth population, with as many as 40% of the nation's homeless youth being LGBT, while only 5% of the overall youth population is LGBT.

With your support, LAYC is able to help youth like Joni get the services they need to make a successful transition to young adulthood. Please consider making a generous donation to our project, and tell your friends. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of homeless and runaway LGBT youth and all youth who need our services.