AT RISK YOUTH - OPORATION WE CARE'S ANSWERS THE QUESTION WHAT DO WE DO NOW?

As you can see from the video posted above we are definitely living in very turbulent times. There have been many solutions people have tried to use to combat these problems the one listed below most have embraced but what are the results and If so then why are the kids rebelling more than ever?

At Risk Teen Boot Camps

If you have been searching for help for an at-risk and defiant youth, you have come to the right place. We specialize in military-style boot camps for kids who are acting out and performing poorly in school. A Teen Boot Camp is similar to life in the military. The youth are up early - usually around 5 or 6 a.m. – and they have chores, inspections, march in formation, calisthenics, kitchen duties, laundry detail, etc. It is no fun, but quite effective at turning around a rebellious child. The camps are ongoing, so a youth can begin any time. Academics are with drill instructors in the classroom and minimum grades are mandatory. We work with youth as young as 10 years of age and can take a child until 6 months of his or her 18th birthday. If your child is in need of therapy of intense counseling, this is not the program for you. If you child needs structure and discipline, this is the place for them.

What is an at risk youth program?

In today's society there is plenty of talk about teen boot camps and structured programs for defiant teens. As you have probably realized, many sites on the Internet propose that they have military-structured programs when, in actuality, they don't. Several of the schools that advertise military-type schools offer nothing more than boarding schools or specialty programs. The difference between a true at-risk teen boot camp and a boarding school is the way the program is run. A true at-risk teen military-type training camp will include uniforms, marching in formation, "yes, sir", "no, sir" tactics, early engagement in calisthenics, and a day filled with a very structured schedule. The at-risk teen military school will also be an in-your-face-style program with drill sergeants, bunk beds, barracks, etc.

Do all schools advertising really have boot camps?

Various programs advertise that they have at-risk teen boot camps, when in reality what they have is a boarding school. The programs do this because they are trying to fill a niche. An adult growing up during the 1960s and 1970s may remember their out-of-control peers being sent to military-type schools. This option was quite popular during that era. Today, sending your teen to a military-type school is different than the 1960s or 1970s, because they must be willing to attend. “Boot camps for teens” is a popular search term because of what the military and boot camps have done for many adults. There are many stories about boys who have joined the military and been forced to grow up while in that environment. This life-changing experience has literally taken many boys and turned them into men. If the military today was anything like the military of the 1960s and 1970s, this might be a good alternative. Although, as we discuss on our “what works, what doesn't” page, we explain how this option is inappropriate for defiant, out-of-control, or at-risk teens.

DOES THIS WORK FOR EVERYONE?

After care full research and monitoring we have realized that "EVERYTHING ISN'T FOR EVERYONE IN THIS CASE" We noticed that you can't fight a fire with a fire and we would rather teach them to "LOVE THEMSELVES 1ST" because as we all know that it's never a good thing to go against anyone who is on the defensive offensively. What we need is more programs that focus on "LOVE", SUPPORT & RESPECT that is what "OPORATION WE CARE" is focusing on. So if you want realistic results we must provide realistic solutions to these problems and Love 1st then some nurturing then education.

We hope we can count on your help to help us to achieve these endeavors.

ALICIA KEYS - CHANGING LIVES IN AFRICA

**note: you must register (it’s free). When downloaded from SpiralFrog,the video will play on multiple formats, including PCs and Macs.

SpiralFrog the free and legal, ad-supported web-based music service, announced that it was selected by the non-profit, Keep a Child Alive, to be the exclusive download partner for “Alicia in Africa: Journey to the Motherland,” today. The documentary highlights, Miss. Keys month-long trip to Africa to visit communities affected by HIV and AIDS.

The first preview of the film aired live on American Idol’s Idol Gives Back.

“Everyone who visits Africa is changed by the experience, but not everyone can afford to go to Africa, come with me on my journey and learn as I learn. Let’s start a virus to stop a virus- send the film to everyone you know. Let’s change this nightmare into our generation’s greatest success story.

Spreading the message is so important to Alicia that she is making the documentary available for FREE online. She is also bringing the experience to her concert goers. She’ll be screening the Alicia in Africa trailer before each concert on her As I Am tour, that kicked off April 19 in Virginia. Alicia will also announce the “Text Alive” initiative, which allows anyone to make an immediate $5 donation to KCA simply by text messaging “Alive” to 90999

By attempting to reach the broadest audience as possible , hopefully resulting in donations and a greater understanding of the situation in Africa.

NATIONAL AIDS DAY DEC 1ST

DECEMBER 1

About the Day
The Facts
Resources
Take Action
About the Day

World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st. The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988. World AIDS Day provides governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals with an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic.
The Facts

Over a million Americans are estimated to be living with HIV. Worldwide an estimated 33 million people are living with HIV.
Resources

* Join us in Facing AIDS for World AIDS Day 2009
* Posters and Other Resources
Download and customize these posters to promote your World AIDS Day events!
Poster show and other World AIDS Day resources from PEPFAR
* Fact sheetsDownload HIV/AIDS fact sheets, post them on bulletin boards, share with local newspapers, and distribute them at events!
* Read about the CDC’s HIV Incidence Data
* Websites
AIDS.gov: provides US Government HIV/AIDS information.
PEPFAR.gov: the official website of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
worldaidscampaign.org: brochures and information about events worldwide.
* Mobile Resources
To find an HIV Testing location near you in the United States, send a text message with your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948) or visit www.hivtest.org.
* Events
Find local events and list your activities here.

LEARN MORE "HERE"

ELTON BROWN & OPORATION WE CARE "FEED THE NEED COVERED BY "THE DIALY PRESS"

NFL's Elton Brown to host Hampton Thanksgiving feast
NFL veteran Elton Brown is giving back to the community for the second Thanksgiving season in as many years.

Brown and friends are hosting a free meal Thursday at the Y.H. Thomas Community Center, 1300 Thomas St. The festivities start at 10:30 a.m. with a DJ and raffles for prizes.

Food will be served from noon to 3 p.m. The public is invited to a meal of turkey and dressing, yams, string beans, rolls and dessert.

Other sponsors of the event include Architects of Change, Chick-fil-A, Bobby Atkinson, Yes We Can Foundation, Operation We Care and Y.H. Thomas Community Center.

Brown, who attended Hampton High School and the University of Virginia, said he just wants to help the community.

WAVY 10 COVERS - 'ELTON BROANS & OPORATION WE CARE" - "FEED THE NEED EVENT"

ELTON BROWN & OPORATION WE CARE - PRESENTS "FEED THE NEED"

click to see larger image


AS ONE NEWSPAPER REPORTER PUT IT, IT MAY NOT BE FASHIONABLE OR POPULAR TO TALK ABOUT THE POOR BUT THE MILLIONS OF AMERICANS STUCK AT THE BOTTOM OF SOCIETY THAT DESERVE TO BE HEARD AND DESERVE TO BE CARED FOR." THE REPORTER FUTHER STATED THAT " THE QUESTION IS NOT WHETHER ADVOCACY FOR THE POOR IS POPULAR- THE ONLY QUESTION IS, IS IT RIGHT?"

REPORTEDLY, 37 MILLION AMERICANS LIVE IN POVERTY AND WITH A BATTERED AND BLOODY ECONOMY IT IS PREDICTED THAT THE NUMBER OF THE HOMELESS AND HUNGRY WILL GET HIGHER.

WITH THAT SAID, ON NOVEMBER 26, 2009 AT 11:00AM THE MOTION COMMUNITY HOUSE & ELTON BROWN IS ORGANIZING FREE MEALS FOR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS WHO MAY BE DOWN ON THEIR LUCK OR MAY JUST WANT TO COME AND BRING THEIR FAMILIES TO SHARE IN THE SPIRIT OF FRIENDSHIP, NEIGHBORLY LOVE AND THANKSGIVING.

WITH THE SUPPORT OF MANY GOOD HEARTED AND SPIRITED CITIZENS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SERVE OVER 500 MEALS PER THANKSGIVING FOR THE LAST 19 YEARS. THIS YEAR THE DEMAND MAY BE HIGHER, THEREFORE WE ARE CALLING ON YOU ONCE AGAIN; COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, CHURCHES AND RESIDENTS TO COME FORTH WITH TRUE WORSHIP IN THE SPIRIT OF THE CHARITY AND LOVE.

WORSHIP SERVICE BY LIFE ALTERING MINISTERIES, PERFORMED BY FOUNDER AND SENIOR PASTOR JOHN L. SOLOMON, REVEREND ROBIN BROWN, MOTHER OF ELTON BROWN, OF THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE HAS CONSENTED TO SERVING AS THE MISTRESS OF CEREMONY.

IF YOU CARE TO SHARE IN THE SPONSORING OF THIS EVENT, PLEASE MAKE ALL CHECKS PAYABLE TO ROBIN BROWN- MILLER INC, SO THAT YOU MAY PROPERLY RECEIVE YOUR TAX EXEMPT CREDIT IF YOU CHOOSE TO TRAVEL THAT ROUTE. OR CONTACT SALIMOT AKANDE AT 980-216-0331 OR SALWELLCONNECTED@LIVE.COM ALSO CONTACT OPORATION WE CARE AT (206)350-4780 OR EMAIL US AT oporationwecare@gmail.com

This event is co-signed by ya boy "Cool V" and the good people of "Oporation We Care"
Because We Care............ Do You??????? If so then join us TODAY!
WWW.OPORATIONWECARE.NING.COM
WWW.OPORATIONWECARE.BLOGSPOT.COM
WWW.OPORATIONWECARE.COM (COMING SOON)
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/OPERATIONWECARE
WWW.TWITTER.COM/OPORATIONWECARE
EMAIL US AT OPORATIONWECARE.COM OR JUST CALL US AT 206-350-4780

FLORIDA HOMELESS ATTACKS CONTINUE TO RISE

Violence Against the Homeless - Florida
Friday, August 21st, 2009 at 16:36 | Categories: Homelessness and Housing | Tags: Crimes against the homeless, Florida

Homeless: Orlando could be the most violent metro area in Florida, survey finds, By Willoughby Mariano, August 20, 2009, Orlando Sentinel: “The nation’s third “meanest” city for the homeless may also be the state’s most violent toward them, say survey results being released today. Forty-six percent of homeless people questioned in Orlando and Orange County in an ongoing local survey said they were physically attacked in the past four years by someone they thought was not homeless - well above Florida’s average of 27 percent, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless. The same organization last month ranked Orlando as the third “meanest” city in the country, behind Los Angeles and St. Petersburg. A coalition report released earlier this month said that in 2008, Florida led the nation in violence against the homeless for the fourth year in a row…”
Report: Attacks on the Homeless
Monday, August 10th, 2009 at 16:17 | Categories: Homelessness and Housing, Law and Corrections | Tags: Crimes against the homeless, Hate crime legislation, States

* Attacks on homeless bring push on hate crime laws, By Eric Lichtblau, August 7, 2009, New York Times: “With economic troubles pushing more people onto the streets in the last few years, law enforcement officials and researchers are seeing a surge in unprovoked attacks against the homeless, and a number of states are considering legislation to treat such assaults as hate crimes. This October, Maryland will become the first state to expand its hate-crime law to add stiffer penalties for attacks on the homeless. At least five other states are pondering similar steps, the District of Columbia approved such a measure this week, and a like bill was introduced last week in Congress…”
* Florida led the nation last year in violence against the homeless, By Scott Wyman, August 8, 2009, South Florida Sun Sentinel: “Last September, a homeless woman in Pompano Beach was raped and nearly strangled. Earlier in the year, two homeless men in West Palm Beach were shot and killed and a Fort Lauderdale man was accused of harassing the homeless with a chainsaw. Florida led the nation for the fourth consecutive year in violence against the homeless in a report released Saturday by the National Coalition for the Homeless. The group documented 30 attacks last year in 10 communities across the state, including three deaths…”

Hate Crime Legislation and the Homeless - Florida
Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 at 13:20 | Categories: Homelessness and Housing, Law and Corrections, Politics | Tags: Crime, Crimes against the homeless, Florida

Advocates push to add attacks on homeless to Florida hate crimes law, By Anthony Man, July 7, 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “Horrified by video of teens who went on a rampage beating homeless men in downtown Fort Lauderdale, a state legislator was propelled to push for including attacks on the homeless to the state’s hate crimes law. It is now state law — in Maryland — because state Sen. Alex Mooney, R-Md., saw what he termed “gruesome” video of the Fort Lauderdale incident. His state is the first to include homeless people as a protected group under its hate crimes statute…”

YOUNG BLACK GIRL ATTACKED AT SHOOL

12 YEAR OLD PREGNANT AND SISTER MISSING (WOW)

MOTHER RAN OVER HER DAUGHTER OVER A MAN *THIS IS WHY WE NEED PROGRAMS FOR OUR YOUNG WOMEN)

9 YEAR OLD TEEN ATTACKS TEACHER BECAUSE SHE'S WHITE?

Where is this child's parents? Whats going on that would provoke this child to act in such a hateful manner we must ask ourselves why is these crimes continuing?

WHEN YOU GIVE A SECOND CHANCE IT CHANGES THE FUTURE OF OUR YOUTH

MOTHER ENCOURAGING HER TEEN TO FIGHT (IGNORANCE HAS NO COLOR!)

CNN INTERVIEWS HIP HOP ICON NAS SPEAKS ABOUT DERRION ALBERTS DEATH

Another Ruthless Act - 2 Teens Beat & Rob 14 Year Old Girl & Her 11yr Old Brother In Chicago!

"When Will This Stop!"

THE SAD STORY OF DERRION ALBERT'S DEATH

The Agape Community Center in Roseland has long been a sanctuary, a refuge for students who want to finish their homework, take Bible study courses or simply escape the chaotic streets in their Far South Side community.

But this place of refuge became the scene of a deadly melee Thursday when dozens of teenage boys converged in a vacant lot next to the community center, beating one another with fists, feet and 2-by-4s.

When it was all over, 16-year-old Derrion Albert lay on the gravel, his body dented and damaged from the pummeling. A youth worker at the center dragged Derrion's slight frame into the center, but it was too late. He died a short time later.

Witnesses and police said Friday that the Fenger High School junior was not a target but simply passed by the community center and was swept into the violent altercation. Walking from school, he fell victim to the violence plaguing some of Chicago's most dangerous neighborhoods.

The honor roll student known for his love of computers became the third Chicago teenager killed this month. At least seven more have been shot.

Police and witnesses say the melee was a culmination of a simmering rivalry between two groups of Fenger students, one that lived near the school and the other from the Altgeld Gardens housing development. Neighbors said the feud has been building since August, spilling across Roseland streets and, some say, into Fenger.

Shots were fired in front of Fenger earlier Thursday. No one was injured. Police said the two incidents don't appear to be related, but they were still looking for suspects in Derrion's slaying.

"This gang violence is escalating beyond control," said T'Awannda Piper, the youth worker who pulled Derrion into the building. "He was caught in it. The kids directly involved walked away healthy, and this kid didn't walk away at all."

The Fenger school principal declined to comment.

As friends propped teddy bears at the site of the beating -- creating the sort of street-side memorial that has become commonplace on the city's West and South Sides -- Derrion's family began planning a funeral for a young man who had dreams of going to college.

Derrion was small, only 5-foot-7. He was a "ladies' man" and a homebody, family members said.

Derrion's grandfather Joseph Walker sat in his living room, tearfully recounting his grandson's life. Displayed on the table in front of him was the honor roll report card and certificate for outstanding attendance.

"Derrion put his key in that door every day at 3:15," said Walker, who was taking care of the teenager. "He would get something to eat and get on the computer, where he would stay most of the night."

Walker said his grandson asked if he could hang out with some friends Thursday after school. Walker said OK, but insisted Derrion be back by 7 p.m.

He never made it. Witnesses said Derrion was near the community center, 342 W. 111th St., when a group of teenagers walking east met up with a group coming from the west. The fight began, they said, with about 10 teenagers. By the time it was finished, witnesses and police said, more than 50 youths were involved.

Milton Massie, executive director of Agape, said video from a surveillance camera atop the community center shows Derrion being struck in the back of the head and moving away from the crowd.

He fell to the gravel, next door to Agape, a Greek word for love.

Derrion's community of Roseland has been one of the city's most treacherous areas since the late 1980s, when the economic decline of the area led to urban decay and gang violence. In the mid-1990s, it gained notoriety as the stamping ground of Robert "Yummy" Sandifer, the 11-year old who was executed by fellow gang members.

These days, too many of the community's youngsters end up in the police blotter or obituaries.

Diane Latiker has become so incensed by the violence in her community, and what she views as the city's seeming "indifference" to it, that she turned her Roseland home into an after-school community center for teenagers.

On Friday afternoon, dozens of area teens gathered there to cry about the death of a schoolmate and voice concerns that they might be next.

But after an hour, they went about their business of planning a Thanksgiving dinner for hungry families in the Roseland area.

"First they cry," she said. "But then they shake their heads and continue with their day, because it's become so commonplace to them. It's like, 'Oh well, another bump on the road.' They go on because it's the only way they can deal with it."

Now, Latiker wonders how she can possibly make room for Derrion's headstone. Latiker created a memorial two years ago to honor the young people killed in Chicago. Each time a child is shot, stabbed or beaten to death, she adds a stone to the memorial wall.

"We have 163 stones right now, but we are 20, now 21, behind," she said. "I thought, well, I hoped, I dreamed that there'd be more space on the wall than kids being killed."

Tribune reporters Annie Sweeney, Carlos Sadovi, Liam Ford and William Lee contributed to this report. kmack@tribune.com

A mother's pain
(Tribune photo by E. Jason Wambsgans / September 28, 2009)
Tamaray Shannon is the mother of Silvonius Shannon, one of three teenagers who have been charged with beating to death 16-year-old Derrion Albert, an "innocent bystander" who walked into the middle of a street fight between two groups of feuding teens last Thursday.

JOIN THE FULLER CENTER IN THIER QWEST TO BUILD COMMUNITIES

"Oporation We Care" would like to thank "The Fuller Center" in Texas for all their support and contributions to helping build a better tomorrow. In today you have so many people who talk about a better tomorrow but these people are actually making it happen.  After a conversation with "Teressa Raiford" CEO of Teressa Raiford I was informed about this wonderful organization who definitely gets things done. In this day and age it is time for action not just talk and this organization walks the walk.

Homelessness is at a all time high and it's time we get more proactive instead of complaining and giving excuses or playing the blame game. After a call with this remarkable woman I was so inspired that I immediately went to work.  Expect great things from these organizations.

The Fuller Center for Housing is a non-profit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. By forming partnerships with local organizations, The Fuller Center provides the structure, guidance and support that communities need to build and repair homes for the impoverished among them. Read the Fuller Center’s Mission Statement and Foundational Principles.

The Fuller Center was started in spring of 2005 by Millard Fuller and his wife Linda, who co-founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976. Fuller set out to expand his missionary vision by returning to his roots at Koinonia Farm, a cooperative community dedicated to peace and service in rural southwest Georgia. A new mission statement was issued at Koinonia – also the birthplace of Habitat – dedicating The Fuller Center as a Christ-centered, faith-driven organization witnessing the love of God by providing opportunities for families to have a simple, decent place to live.

The demand for safe, affordable housing is enormous. The United Nations estimates that over one billion people around the world live in substandard housing. In the United States alone, almost two million people live with a hole in their roof, 3.7 million live with broken windows and 2.5 million live in a house where the foundation is crumbling beneath them. Just over one million people live without complete plumbing facilities. (Source: American Housing Survey, U.S. Census Bureau, 2005)

Many of these people are too elderly or too poor to help themselves through traditional means, but we believe this does not make them any less deserving of our help. The Fuller Center seeks to improve their standards of living by helping those people help themselves. A Fuller Center home is not a hand out, but a hand up. By working alongside volunteers and repaying construction costs on terms they can handle, homeowners are able to regain a sense of basic human dignity.

Please join us in our quest to improve the health and futures of the world’s people by providing them with simple, decent places to live. Please see our FAQ page for more information, and our Get Involved page for resources on how you can make a difference. Please also visit our detailed program pages in the Where We Work section to find a Fuller Center in your are.

W.Va. homeless ranks rise, study reports

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The number of homeless people increased in West Virginia between January 2005 and January 2007 more quickly than almost anywhere in the nation, according to a study released Monday by a Washington, D.C.-based group.

Homelessness in the Mountain State rose by 58 percent, according to the new report from the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Only Kentucky had a higher rate, with a 63 percent increase.

The state had 2,409 homeless people in January 2007, according to the report. West Virginia was one of 18 states where the number of homeless increased.

Kanawha, Putnam, Boone and Clay counties had 325 homeless people in January 2007, a 19 percent decline over the previous two years.

Charleston Mayor Danny Jones has made attractive and affordable housing a priority of his administration, said mayoral assistant Rod Blackstone.

In 2005, Jones reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to redevelop Spring Hill.

"The Spring Hill Apartments, now Vista View, was headed for foreclosure," Deputy Mayor Rod Blackstone said on Monday. "We prevented what would have been a housing crisis if Spring Hill had been foreclosed and people sent out to the streets.

"We made it much more attractive and increased the number of people who live up there," he said. "And we have provided about 100 other new units in places like the Patrick Street townhouses, Orchard Manor and Washington Manor."

But 331 homeless people in the Huntington area, including Cabell and Wayne counties, represent a 6 percent increase over those two years, according to the study. And 118 homeless people in the Wheeling-Weirton area represented a 19 percent increase.

Corey Ingram, a development assistant with the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless, said conditions have been improving and the number of homeless in the area has dropped to 280.

"Chronically homeless people are 15 percent of the homeless population," Ingram said. "But they consume the most resources in emergency room visits, jail costs, detoxification centers. That costs taxpayers a lot of money.

Larkin Street Launches "Mind the Gap," a Conference on Youth Homelessness

Conference Highlights Effective Public and Private Sector Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Transition Age Homeless Youth

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(MARKET WIRE)--Jan 13, 2009 -- Larkin Street Youth Services, San Francisco's leading provider of housing and support services for homeless and at-risk youth, will host leaders from more than 150 local, state and national youth service community agencies at its first Conference on Youth Homelessness held in San Francisco. The theme this year is "Mind the Gap: Effective Strategies for Meeting the Needs of Transition Age Youth." "Mind the Gap" will be held at the Palace Hotel at 2 Market Street on Thursday, January 15th.

"Mind the Gap," Larkin Street's first Conference on Youth Homelessness, brings together policy makers, youth service advocates, private and public sector service providers and agencies to share knowledge, new approaches, tools and best practices for better meeting the growing gap between demand for services among transition age (16 to 24) homeless and at-risk youth as well as the diminishing safety net of resources serving this vulnerable population.

"The timing of our first conference on youth homelessness couldn't be better, as all of the organization faces growing demand for our services while now contending with seriously constrained resources," noted Sherilyn Adams, executive director of Larkin Street Youth Services. "By bringing strong, seasoned youth services leaders together, we can better help each other network, develop joint solutions and share best practices across the entire youth services community."

An introductory plenary session, "Who Are Homeless Youth and What Are Their Needs?" will set the stage for the day by providing a comprehensive overview of the issues and needs of homeless youth. Panelists from national, state, and local organizations will provide their perspectives on homeless youth subpopulations, service needs, and strategies to address these needs. The opening session will be moderated by Adams and includes: LaKesha Pope from the National Alliance to End Homelessness in Washington, D.C.; Heather Dearing from the California Coalition for Youth in Sacramento, Calif.; and Rachel Antrobus from the Transition Age Youth Initiative, San Francisco.

Additional workshops at the one-day conference will address specific advocacy, policy and planning, along with resource issues associated with transition age youth program development, implementation and support including: Creating a Wider Net: Building an Advocacy Strategy for Homeless Youth; Meeting the Needs of Marginalized Populations: Queer Youth; More Than Just A Roof: Effective Housing Models for Homeless Youth; and many more.

Two additional workshops will feature a panel of transition age youth who have been involved as clients in youth service programs. These young people will share their unique perspectives on the issues they and their peers face as homeless and at-risk youth.

For additional information about the "Mind the Gap" conference, please visit www.larkinstreetyouth.org or contact Kathie Lowry, chief development officer at Larkin Street Youth Services at (415) 673.0911 ext. 301.

About Larkin Street Youth Services

Founded in 1984, Larkin Street Youth Services is a globally recognized nonprofit leader providing innovative and effective housing, medical, social and educational services for at-risk homeless and runaway youth ages 12-24 across 25 programs and 13 sites in San Francisco. Seventy-four percent of youth who participate in the full continuum of services at Larkin Street exit street life. For more information, please visit www.larkinstreetyouth.org.
Contact:

Media Contact:
Nicole Garroutte
ngarroutte@larkinstreetyouth.org
(415) 673.0911 ext. 305

Riverside County Looking for 'Hidden Homeless'

Riverside County is gearing up for a new homeless count.

Homelessness threatens nearly 20,000 people in the county but, with foreclosures at an all-time high, the county expects much higher numbers.

This year, the county is also focusing on the "hidden homeless" or people who are on the brink of homelessness and living temporarily with friends or relatives.

County officials are urging these people to get in touch with them so they can be refered to agencies for assisitance. Plus, the county needs to know where to allocate its resources.

The identities of people will remain confidential.

People who meet the criteria of a hidden homeless resident are urged to call the Department of Public Social Services office in Riverside at (951) 358-5637. They can call any time up to January 28.