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North Texas Youth Connection Commemorates National Runaway Prevention Month
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North Texas Youth Connection/Juvenile Alternatives
Posted: 11/17/2008 Views: 513 Impressions: 1376
Categories: Local News, Social Services: Social Issues
Posted: 11/17/2008 Views: 513 Impressions: 1376
Categories: Local News, Social Services: Social Issues
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Congress passed House and Senate resolutions recognizing and supporting the goals and ideals of November?s National Runaway Prevention Month.
?Passage of both resolutions helps us bring visibility to the plight of runaway and at-risk youth and their families,? said Maureen Blaha, Executive Director of the National Runaway Switchboard, which co-sponsors National Runaway Prevention Month. ?Between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth are expected to run away from home this year and it is significant to have this support from Washington.?
Locally, North Texas Youth Connection serves the needs of runaway and homeless youth through their emergency shelter for youth ages 10-17, through the STAR Family Connection crisis intervention counseling program for youth ages 0-17 and their family, and through prevention programs in the community, including implementation of the National Runaway Switchboard?s curriculum in NTYC?s Responsive Attentive Peers groups in local school and after-school settings. ?It is estimated that over 7,000 youth in our service area will run away during a year,? said Bettye Finnell, Executive Director of NTYC. ?The risks of youth being on the street are great, and while you don?t actively see large groups of homeless youth congregated in our community like you might in some of the larger cities, they are here. And we need to help them.?
To bring awareness to the issues of homelessness, and homeless youth in particular, NTYC will be sponsoring an awareness event called ?No Place To Go? on Saturday, December 6. No Place to Go is an opportunity for community leaders to spend a night outside to discuss, think, and learn about homelessness. Although one night outside can in no way simulate homelessness, this awareness-raising activity can promote advocacy and education.
Participants will begin arriving at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening followed by a brief welcome and some small activities. Later they will sleep, awakening early in the morning for a 6:00 a.m. light breakfast before being sent on their way. ?We firmly believe that the community banding together to address homelessness is the only way that real change can happen,? said Finnell.
Individuals or groups interested in participating in this event to raise awareness of homelessness may contact the North Texas Youth Connection office at (903) 893-4717 or visit the website at www.ntxyouthconnection.org/NoPlaceToGo.htm
About North Texas Youth Connection
North Texas Youth Connection was founded in 1979 (under the name Grayson County Juvenile Alternatives) to address the needs of runaway and homeless youth. Services have expanded and modified to keep up with the ever-changing needs of youth and families, and now includes an emergency shelter for homeless youth ages 10-17, free crisis intervention counseling for youth ages 0-17 and their family, and community prevention programs. Services now cover 10 counties in North Texas. For more information about the agency or any of its programs, call (903) 893-4717, the 24-hour crisis hotline at 1-800-568-7776, or visit the website at www.ntxyouthconnection.org.
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