TRENDING

Here's a shocking stat: Every year, about three million people are homeless, and about half of those are youth. Wanna do something to change that? November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, so it's the perfect time to get involved in helping the homeless.  What you can do: Set aside some time on Thanksgiving Turkey day is about more than eating a gigantic meal. Show how thankful you are for everything you have by doing something to help people who aren't as fortunate. Some communities hold Thanksgiving charity races or fundraisers to benefit shelters or food banks. Or even better -- find out if your local community center or food bank is serving a Thanksgiving dinner for the homeless and volunteer to help out.  Donate time or resources to a youth shelter A lot of shelters and organizations that work with homeless youth require volunteers to be over 18, but contact your local organization to see if there's anything you can do or specific items they need donated (like clothes or toiletries).  Help homeless kids make the grade It's tough to go to school everyday when you don't have a place to call home. Find an organization that distributes school supplies to homeless youth or encourages them to stay in school, and see what you can do to contribute.  Youth are homeless for a lot of reasons. Some run away from home or are even kicked out of their homes, and some live with their families in shelters or have temporary places to stay with relatives. No matter what their situation, teens who are living without permanent homes can always use your help. 

by Alissa Scheller | 2/1/2016