Why Focus on Homeless Young Adults
A question we get asked a lot, why is our focus on young adults and not the entire homeless or unsheltered population?
According to a report by The Institute of Medicine (IOM) and National Research Council (NRC) “Investing in the Health and Well-Being of Young Adults”, young adults, ages 18-26, are a very high-risk population that is under-served in many communities, including ours.
The following excerpts from the brief further explain the situation at hand.
“Young adulthood—spanning approximately ages 18 to 26—is a critical period of development, with long-lasting implications for a person’s economic security, health, and well-being”
“In previous generations, the general path for most young adults was to graduate from high-school, enter college or the workforce, leave home, find a spouse, and start a family. Today, those pathways are considerably less predictable, often extended, and sometimes significantly more challenging, presenting more choice and opportunity for some young adults—and more barriers to others.”
“Marginalized young adults—such as children of low-income immigrants, those aging out of foster care, those in the justice system, those with disabilities, those who dropped out of school, and those who bear responsibility for raising young children—are much less likely than other young adults to experience a successful transition to adulthood. Meeting the needs of marginalized young adults not only improves their lives and can reduce persistent inequalities due to family background, but also has the potential to help them become fully contributing members of society. Absent deliberate action, however, this period of development is likely to magnify inequality, with lasting effects through adulthood.”
We at Empower Life discovered that mentoring, supportive and structured housing, along with love and community involvement can make a huge difference in the lives of young people who just want a chance to thrive.
It is our mission to support agencies, organizations, programs and individuals who operate with a focus on providing the services young adults need.
Your help in this mission is imperative! Without the proper funding to educate, operate and grow, well meaning programs in our area are forced to shut down, leaving some of our most vulnerable and valuable people to fend for themselves. We experienced this first hand so we know the heart ache this can cause, both for the young adults and those who are trying to help.
Your donation will go to providing cash assistance to individuals who meet our criteria as well as to developing more programs specifically tailored to meet the needs of young people coming out of foster care, difficult or abusive home settings, substance abuse and so much more.
Give as much as you can today! https://paypal.me/empowerlifeTC
Visit our website to learn more... Empower Life Tri-Cities www.empowerlife-kpr.org
(Report Brief) https://www.nap.edu/resource/18869/YAreportbrief.pdf
(Brief: Marginalized Young Adults) https://www.nap.edu/resource/18869/MarginalizedYAs.pdf