Nearly two million teens face homelessness a year in the United States alone. This book shares the stories of teens who are homeless and live on the streets or in shelters, with or without their families. Readers are presented with relatable facts about a vulnerable population. They will learn what can be done to address homelessness, and how to remedy the long-lasting consequences of the epidemic.

Nearly two million teens face homelessness a year in the United States alone. This book shares the stories of teens who are homeless and live on the streets or in shelters, with or without their families. Readers are presented with relatable facts about a vulnerable population. They will learn what can be done to address homelessness, and how to remedy the long-lasting consequences of the epidemic.

Inside the lives of homeless teens?moving stories of pain and hope from Covenant House Almost Home tells the stories of six remarkable young people from across the United States and Canada as they confront life alone on the streets. Each eventually finds his or her way to Covenant House, the largest charity serving homeless and runaway youth in North America. From the son of a crack addict who fights his own descent into drug addiction to a teen mother reaching for a new life, their stories veer between devastating and inspiring as they each struggle to find a place called home. Includes a foreword by Newark Mayor Cory Booker Shares the personal stories of six homeless youths grappling with issues such as drug addiction, family violence, prostitution, rejection based on sexual orientation, teen parenthood, and aging out of foster care into a future with limited skills and no support system Gives voice to the estimated 1.6 million young people in the United States and Canada who run away or are kicked out of their homes each year Includes striking photographs, stories of firsthand experiences mentoring and working with homeless and troubled youth, and practical suggestions on how to get involved Discusses the root causes of homelessness among young people, and policy recommendations to address them Provides action steps readers can take to fight youth homelessness and assist individual homeless young people Written by Kevin Ryan, president of Covenant House, and Pulitzer Prize nominee and former New York Times writer Tina Kelley Inviting us to get to know homeless teens as more than an accumulation of statistics and societal issues, this book gives a human face to a huge but largely invisible problem and offers practical insights into how to prevent homelessness and help homeless youth move to a hopeful future. For instance, one kid in the book goes on to become a college football player and counselor to at-risk adolescents and another becomes a state kickboxing champion. All the stories inspire us with victories of the human spirit, large and small. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book will help support kids who benefit from Covenant House's shelter and outreach services.

The word "homelessness" comes with many expectations, and often those ideas are incorrect, based on outdated stereotypes. This "hidden story" digs deeper into the issue of homelessness, examining the real reasons that people, both individuals and families, are often forced to live on the streets. It connects with readers in a very real way, with photos and statistics that show that anyone can become homeless under certain circumstances. It also discusses what is being done to help prevent homelessness in the future.

Discussions about prisoners often take for granted that a sizable number of those incarcerated are under the age of eighteen. Serving time as a teen has a unique set of challenges, and this book describes, in a relatable way, the issues facing young people behind bars both in the United States and abroad. The book includes information about teens incarcerated around the globe, including those who are economic prisoners forced to work to pay off familial debts. This volume also sheds light on what life is like for teens after their sentence has been served.

Around the world, young people under the age of eighteen serve in militaries and as part of armed groups. Their experiences vary from carefully controlled, such as the stories of sixteen-year-old soldiers in the British Armed Forces, to harrowing, such as the cases of teens who are forced to take up arms or face violence to themselves or their families. This book spans the globe, looking at the experiences of young soldiers to contextualize their role in world events, relate the circumstances of their daily lives, and help readers understand how teen soldiers' lives are similar to other teens' in ways both big and small.

His life was barely worth a dollar. He slept outside, on park benches, in stairwells, under bushes. Michael Gaulden lived in shelter after shelter across the United States. With his father incarcerated and mother disabled, he stayed homeless for ten years. From the age of seven to seventeen, Michael, with his mother and sister, journeyed along his own underground railroad, desperately searching for a way to free his family from the sewers of society. Michael learned death was a big part of youth homelessness. Education was not. To survive, he had to become something more. Caught in between two worlds- his dreams vs. his reality- violence, gangsters, hunger, poverty, and sorrow marked his daily life. Michael vowed to change his fate through getting his high school diploma. He never hoped to dream that not only would he graduate from high school but also from a prestigious California university. This is the true story of a homeless boy, marked for prison or worse, who fought against tremendous odds and persevered to achieve academic and professional success.