Act Now: Runaway and Homeless Youth Need Your Help
Written by: Malea Otranto, End Trafficking Project
Thousands of children all across this country are turning street corners into their homes every single night.
Children are running away from broken homes. They’re finding bedrooms on bus stop benches and dinners for $1.00 from fast food establishments in order escape things like abuse and neglect. Children are being kicked out of their homes. They’ve been told that being gay or transgender is a crime, and enough reason for a family to disown one of its own.
Children all over this country, every night, are trying to find solace in the fact that they are alone, without a system of support or a roof over their head as they wander city streets until dawn just to pass the time.
These children are some of the most vulnerable in our country. Runaway and homeless youth are easily exploited by traffickers who know the populations to target and who can easily be controlled. The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act (RHYTPA) is a crucial piece of national legislation that aids to protect these vulnerable children. The reauthorization calls for increased services, emergency shelters and more.
This is where you come in. We need your help in getting this piece of legislation passed. For three days, we are calling on all of our supporters to activate on the RHYTPA. In the three part series, we will raise awareness about the runaway and homeless youth act, culminating in a national call in day where your voice will be essential in obtaining support from our representatives across the country.
If you want to help runaway and homeless youth in our country, join us on these dates and use your voice:
1. Twitter Chat: October 20th from 2-3PM EST.2. Google + Hangout : October 21st from 3-4PM EST3. National Call in Day: October 22nd from 2-4PM EST.
Follow @EndTraffick and the #passRHYTPA hashtag to learn more about our twitter chat.
To watch the Google + Hangout, click here.
Find out who your representative is by clicking here.
Sample Script for calling your Represenative:
Hello __________,
My name is ________ and I am one of your constituents. I am calling about a piece of legislation that I care deeply about, titled the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act. Runaway and homeless youth are some of our most vulnerable population to being exploited and trafficked right here in our country, and right here in our state- they are in desperate need of services, emergency shelter and vocational training.That is why I am advocating for the reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth act. It will provide youth with education, treatment, counseling, and referrals to vital services, crisis intervention services to minors, and long-term housing with supportive services for homeless youth such as job preparation and health care.
1.7 million youth run away or are forced to leave their homes each year. Children are getting kicked out of their homes, or are running away from violence. All over our country, these children need our help.
I hope ________ takes up this issue and voices their support for the reauthorization of the Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act.
