Group sleeps outside to raise awareness for homeless youth
A group slept in sleeping bags outside Thursday night to raise awareness for homeless youth.
Studies estimate there are 1,200 to 1,500 youth and young adults ages 12 to 24 currently homeless in Colorado. In El Paso County, there are an estimated 93 homeless youth, though people believe that number is much higher because they don’t want to report the youth are homeless.
Urban Peak Colorado Springs held the event Thursday to raise money and awareness about challenges facing youth experiencing homelessness.
People can’t use tents during the night out and can only use sleeping bags, cardboard boxes and tarps to brave the elements.
The group’s goal is to raise $50,000. The money will help support programming in Urban Peak’s 20-bed shelter for youth, ages 15 through 20. It costs about $50 per night to provide youth shelter at Urban Peak, so if the group reaches its goal, it will mean 1,000 nights of shelter for homeless youth.
Wayne Bland has slept outside for the event two years in a row. He said it’s a tough night but not even as tough as what most homeless youth experience.
“I’ve got hi-tech camping gear, and most of the youth don’t have that,” said Bland.
But David Nguyen said he appreciates everyone that braved the cold for the cause.
“The first part of understanding anything is experiencing it,” said Nguyen.
He was homeless at 16 years old. He continued to go to school. He said he was too proud and too embarrassed to ask for help.
“[The hardest part was] trying to hide the fact that sometimes I wasn’t able to shower. Hiding the fact that I started to smell,” said Nguyen.
Uriaha McMurray had his first stint on the street at age 14. He bounced around at night between various churches and shelters that could provide temporary relief. He stayed in school and tried to keep up with his studies.
“I didn’t really want it to be known. We just really didn’t talk about it,” said McMurray.
Both McMurray and Nguyen are back on the street again at 22 years old. Nguyen recently found a minimum wage job, and McMurray is continuing to look.
“My goal for myself is to really get off the street right now,” said McMurray.
