Spring Symposium - A Hidden Challenge: Homelessness Among Youth & Young Adults

WASHINGTON, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, April 10, Friendship Place will host its annual spring symposium, a discussion titled, A Hidden Challenge: Homelessness Among Youth & Young Adults. A reception will be held at 6:30pm and the program will follow from 7-8:30pm.

Hidden among us are youth without safe or stable shelter. Many also lack the basic resources and supports necessary to prepare for adulthood. According to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, 28 percent of the region's total homeless population is made up of youth and young adults.

"We know that many young people are on the street disconnected from the community. We need to connect with them and find solutions together," said Jean-Michel Giraud, Executive Director.

What can we do to end homelessness among youth and young adults in the District?  How do we ensure that all young people are safely housed and receiving needed services?

Seeking solutions to answer these and other questions, Friendship Place has invited a panel to discuss the issue moderated by Ray Suarez, broadcast journalist and host of Inside Story, Al Jazeera America. Speakers will include: Darla Bardine, Policy Director for the National Network for Youth; Deborah Shore, Executive Director of Sasha Bruce Youthwork; and Jermaine Hampton, Director of Friendship Place's AimHire program. We will also hear a first-hand account from a young community member with life experience on the street.

"In the DC metro area there are thousands of youth and young adults without proper housing, resources, and support," Jermaine Hampton said. "With numbers growing at a rapid rate, immediate action needs to be taken to implement solutions on a wide scale."

Join us at National Presbyterian Church, 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016, for this important and revealing discussion.

Anyone interested in learning more about the event or our organization should visit our website at FriendshipPlace.org.

Friendship Place empowers individuals and their families experiencing or at risk of homelessness to rebuild their lives with the involvement of the community. Through innovative leadership and community engagement, we provide effective, customized programs for those experiencing homelessness, including street outreach, shelter, transitional and permanent supportive housing, health care, job placement, and advocacy.

Media Contact:
Katie Hughes
202.503.2964
[email protected]

SOURCE Friendship Place