A homeless young person, 19, writes poems on his cell phone on Thursday, August 25, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minn. He writes poetry to explain what life has been like since he became homeless. For privacy and security reasons, he has asked that his name not be used. The young man left home at the age of 18 due to problems with his family. To get by, he stayed at churches, in shelters, and with friends. He sometimes stole food just to survive. He says homelessness tests your will to live. Now that he is staying at Avenues for Homeless Youth, an emergency shelter and short-term housing facility in Minneapolis, he gets three meals a day and no longer worries about food. Despite all the challenges he has faced, he is optimistic about his future, and hopes to attend Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
MPR Photo/Caroline Yang
Homeless youth in the state -- whether in shelters, couch hopping, or on the streets -- struggle to get enough to eat. Food shelves and meal programs offer help, but some youth have to use their own survival skills to get by.
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Russell Daye, 19, of Fridley, visited YouthLink, a drop-in center for homeless young people, on Friday, August 27, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minn. Daye has been homeless several times in the past five years, living at shelters and couch hopping. He receives food stamps, but says he never has enough food at the end of the month, in part because he has to buy meals day-to-day rather than stock up at the grocery store. He sometimes eats at YouthLink, although he says transportation to and from downtown Minneapolis can be a challenge. Daye was in foster care as a child and recently lost his mother. He admits he has made bad decisions in life, but got his GED with help from YouthLink and recently secured a full-time job with benefits at Wal-Mart. He is father to a five-year-old girl who currently lives with her mother in Iowa, and he says his daughter was his motivation for turning his life around. He is a singer, and wants to practice law. 1 of 9
A homeless young person, 19, writes poems on his cell phone on Thursday, August 25, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minn. He writes poetry to explain what life has been like since he became homeless. For privacy and security reasons, he has asked that his name not be used. The young man left home at the age of 18 due to problems with his family. To get by, he stayed at churches, in shelters, and with friends. He sometimes stole food just to survive. He says homelessness tests your will to live. Now that he is staying at Avenues for Homeless Youth, an emergency shelter and short-term housing facility in Minneapolis, he gets three meals a day and no longer worries about food. Despite all the challenges he has faced, he is optimistic about his future, and hopes to attend Minneapolis Community and Technical College. 2 of 9
Catherine Brenner, 19, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, spent time at YouthLink, a drop-in center for homeless youth in Minneapolis, Minn. on Friday, August 26, 2011. YouthLink is a place where young people ages 16-21 can go for many kinds of help, including hot meals, basic health care, assistance finding long-term housing, and assistance looking for a job. Brenner became homeless shortly after turning 18, and is a mother to an 8-month-old girl. She says before finding YouthLink, she had a hard time finding food -- especially during her pregnancy. She would steal food and would sometimes go days without eating. Brenner currently receives $200 a month in food stamps, and sometimes holds a sign by the street to ask for money. She sends what she can to her sister, who is taking care of her daughter. Brenner says great things can come from being homeless. She is working on her GED and wants to enroll in college next year and hopefully become a teacher or a social worker for children. Ultimately, she would like to say she accomplished something good. Next Slide
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