As November begins, we come together to observe National Homeless Youth Awareness Month with unwavering determination to ensure every young person has access to safe, affordable, and sustainable housing.
In the United States, a staggering 4.2 million youth experience homelessness each year; this issue is intersectional, affecting BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth disproportionately due to the homophobia, transphobia, and racism inherent in the homeless services industry and our world. This crisis calls for solutions rooted in equity and lived experience, and True Colors United is leading the charge to position youth who have experienced homelessness as leaders and decisionmakers in their own communities.
This summer at our Youth Action Summit, True Colors United gathered more than 75 youth leaders who have experienced homelessness to ask a pivotal question: “What does ending youth homelessness look like to you?” Over the next two days of the Summit, these leaders presented, collaborated, and problem-solved together to create actionable solutions on local, national, and global scales.
In partnership with artist Andrea Pescosolido, we captured conversations, ideas, and solutions that arose during the Summit, crafting an illustrative demonstration of the power of youth-led solutions to end homelessness. This illustration is now available on Bonfire.com as a shirt!
This Homeless Youth Awareness Month, we invite you to be a part of the change by supporting our ongoing work. We’re committed to positioning youth with lived experience as the drivers of change, and you can join us by purchasing one of our awesome tees. Your support empowers young individuals to lead the charge in ending youth homelessness, and makes it possible for every young person to have a safe place to call home.
Please visit our Bonfire campaign by clicking here.