No room at the inn

I received a call for help. The caller was seeking safe harbor for a young, unaccompanied adult. This young adult no longer wanted to stay with parents, who had moved back to Anchorage. They were practicing alcoholics, and wanted their kid to drive them around, with stops at the bars. It wasn’t a good place for this young adult, now in recovery. It was the old neighborhood and the old drinking crowd. It would be just a matter of time before relapsing, with that set up.

This young adult was trying to continue and complete an education out in the Valley. A transportation voucher was being provided to achieve that goal. However, the continued pressure from living with parents, doing their driving and having his/her own personal demons of the past (people, places and situations) was taking its toll. The caller asked if I would look for temporary shelter until a long-term solution could be found.

If this young person had been under 18 years old, the prospects would have been more hopeful. Or, if the youth was connected with a family, and the entire family was looking for temporary shelter, it would have been more promising. (Family Promise) Even Job Corp., a great, successful program for the over 18 age group, had a year waiting list! The only consolation to my endeavor of seeking out temporary, safe shelter was talking to very concerned individuals, working for very caring community outreach programs (Dorothy Saxon Shelter). But, they all had guidelines, qualifiers, and conditions (state regulations!) for placement. Again, they were all very compassionate, dedicated professionals, but couldn’t help this young adult!

So, there was no room at the inn. What a heartbreaking return phone call to say I had struck out. However, this only motivated me to crank up the heat and get the word out to the caring members of our community — HELP!

We desperately need a runaway, homeless safe shelter for our unaccompanied youth. That shelter will put a roof over their heads, give them a bed and put food in their hungry bellies. But most importantly, it will give them a safe place.

However, the same question continues to come up with this request. Why don’t they just go home? Their reasons would break your heart. Stories of abandonment, neglect and worse, abuse— physical, emotional and, the most gut-wrenching, sexual. NO WAY, would they go home is the answer to that question. Dogs are treated better.

Then, the only alternative is to hit the streets, baseball dugouts, parked cars, campers or, if they are really lucky, couch surf. With those alternatives comes even more seedy possible consequences of prostitution, stealing, dealing alcohol and drugs, and the most tragic, death due to an overdose and/ or freezing to death.

How can we let that happen? We just can’t! We have to do more before one of our youth makes the paper, and it isn’t about an achievement in academics, sports or community service. It is the announcement of a funeral service. I could not live with that, and I know many of you could not either. Where do we start?

On Nov. 20, the Mat-Su Coalition for Housing and Homelessness is sponsoring the Light for Life for our homeless populationfrom 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Wasilla Lake Park.

There will be a candle-lighting event, testimony and fellowship. Please join us.

And finally, by the grace of God, this youth that needed a safe shelter reappeared after three weeks of being … somewhere, out there, not knowing what each evening would bring. Then, a family stepped up in the Valley for this young adult and offered a roof, bed and food. But more than that … besides being a safe place, they offered a chance to be… whatever this young adult wants, by continuing his/her education.

If you are interested in being a host family for a homeless youth, (over 18 years old) contact Dave Rose with the Mat-Su School District at 746-0459 or 746-9228, or Michelle Overstreet at Burchell High School at 373-7775.

Make a difference for a kid and provide a room at the inn. Let’s keep our homeless youth futures bright.

Michael P. Carson is a Mat-Su Coalition for Housing and Homelessness member.