Thank you so much for following Faith on her journey to support the homeless youth served at Outreach. The 100,000-step (or 42-mile) journey was trying and difficult, but thanks to the support along the way, Faith stayed positive and finished with high spirits.

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If you tuned in on Facebook as we gave live updates, you heard many of our staff members talk about their experiences working at Outreach and serving our youth. In the spirit of that, we’d like to share one more story from Outreach Case Manager Sarah:

 

When I think about the typical graduation announcement or new job acceptance, I hear people say, “I couldn’t have done this without the support of my spouse, friends, family, etc…” And they’re not lying. Personally, I would be nowhere without the support of my family and friends.

 

Most of the young people we serve have absolutely no one, and some call Outreach their only family. We as humans were not created to go to work, get a paycheck, and die. We are here to love and be loved, and that’s it. That’s the truth, but many of our youth have not experienced that.

 

These young people do not want to be in this situation. It’s hell. But a lot of the time they just have no hope that there will be anything else for them. And they don’t have a specific purpose or responsibility to keep them motivated.

 

So many of our youth have been let down so many times, failed so many times, and abandoned from others so many times that they don’t even feel the hope or worth of turning around their situation because that’s the message they’ve received all along. Being a source of hope or helping them find purpose in something they enjoy might just get something in their brain to click.

 

I would say that the most important thing you can provide to somebody in this situation is love, acceptance, and a listening ear - mentorship and friendship. Everything else will fall into place later. But when you are severely traumatized and cannot even fathom focusing on the future, what is really needed is a listening ear and hand to hold. Then they will be ready to take the steps to move forward.

 

The walk on Saturday was extremely challenging, but each challenge was met with a new group of people willing to offer support, a listening ear, and a hand to hold.

 

Thank you to each person who joined Faith on her walk. Thank you to each person who followed her online and provided moral support from afar. Thank you to the 78 individuals who each gave an average of $85.45 to support the youth served at Outreach. Thank you to every person who continues to go out of their way to raise awareness for and give back to something larger than yourself.