What's it really like to be a youth on the streets?
So, you support Street Youth Ministries.
But have you ever wondered what life on the streets really looks like for our young people?
written by Kaylyn Springer
I've only been working at Street Youth Ministries for about 4 months now, but during that time I've been blessed to get to know a lot of our youth. Many of them have made me belly-laugh unabashedly until I'm out of breath. Some of them are artists -- they draw, they write, they make music, and I've been privileged to witness their expression. Many of them go to work; they hang out with friends; they visit their case manager; they try to stay dry when it rains and warm when the temperature drops; they just do life with the tools and circumstances that life has handed them, just like you and I.
But too often, young people on the streets are dehumanized; they're generalized as disruptive, or as taking advantage of resources. But what many people don't realize is that each of these young people has a unique story, a narrative of circumstances leading to life on the streets. And each of their lives carries tremendous value, just as it is.
Especially as we face the coming year, I think we need to make an effort to really see our brothers and sisters, not with judgmental eyes, but in an earnest attempt to know the other. How can we expect to make a difference if we don't engage with those we seek to impact? How can we assume we know about someone's circumstances if we never stop to listen? How can we claim to be seeking after Christ if we never step out into the territory in which his ministry was so invested?
What would it be like to live everyday faced with glaring impermanence?
What would give you hope?
Maybe it would be your friends that you'd cling to, fellow street kids who understand what kind of circumstances lead to life on the streets.
Maybe doing what you love would be extra life-giving, whether it's skateboarding or creating art or making music.
Maybe your case manager, invested and working to help you pursue your goals, would be a source of hope for you.
SYM strives to be a source of hope for these young people by providing more than just resources; we also seek to provide relationships and life-skills that bring healing and a restored sense of self worth.
If you choose to support us before midnight on December 31st, your gift will be doubled.