Real Men Feel: Ep. 274, Youth Homelessness | Everyone Deserves a Safe Place to Sleep

Youth Homelessness | Everyone Deserves a Safe Place to Sleep Episode 274, October 7, 2022

I was a mess between High School and College. I had made multiple suicide attempts and was in and out of mental hospitals – not willing to be helped yet. I was telling people enough to get them to leave me alone.

At one point, I left a hospital against medical advice because I had tickets to see Motley Crue. I figured if I was alive, I was going to that show. There’s a longer tale about how I got home and the reaction of family and friends, but the net result is that I was kicked out of my house. I was homeless.

Thankfully, I had neighbors who gave me a couch for a few days while I figured shit out, so I never had to live on the streets, but I thought that might be what happened. Through college and beyond, friends and I sometimes slept in city parks or hotel stairwells while traveling because we were broke. But that had a sense of adventure and playfulness, nothing like actual homelessness.

In the United States, 4.2 million young people will face homelessness this year alone.

Kids can end up on the streets because their home isn’t safe or they are battling addiction, depression, or any mental health challenge. Living on the streets doesn’t help any of it. Homelessness can lead to worse addictions, sex trafficking, and suicide.

Covenant House, is a charitable organization that I’ve donated to for years. They empower young people to overcome homelessness by providing them safe housing, food and clothing, and relentless support.

Since 1972, Covenant House has opened its doors to over 1.5 million young people experiencing homelessness and trafficking, one youth at a time. That’s half a century of believing in youth and nurturing their promise, talents, and courage.

Listen here:

Why am I talking about Covenant House so much? Because, for the first time, I’m an active participant in their annual fundraiser, the Sleep Out. The Sleep Out happens on November 17 around the world. People give up their beds for one night to raise money to get more kids off the streets for good.

Covenant House envisions and works toward a world where every young person has a safe place to sleep and the love, respect, and support they deserve, and need, to thrive.

Sleep Out isn’t about pretending to be homeless. We Sleep Out so homeless kids don’t have to. When you Sleep Out, you’re not just raising funds and awareness – you’re showing these young people that you care and are committed to their future.

Please consider donating to my Sleep Out at

https://www.sleepout.org/participant/andygrant

By searching for my name, you can also find me on the sleepout.org home page.

Links

There is still time for you to join Sleep Out and give up your bed for one night, November 17, to ensure that youth facing homelessness can sleep safely at Covenant House. They can access safe shelter, nourishing food, clean clothing, and essential services like job training, education, healthcare, mental health counseling, and legal aid — all the tools they need to build futures free from homelessness. Sign up at SleepOut,org