Nonprofit Youth Futures needs your help to combat teen homelessness

OGDEN — November marks National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time to spotlight the tens of thousands of youth across the country who flee their homes due to domestic violence and often step into homelessness, with unsafe living conditions.

Here in Utah, the nonprofit Youth Futures is taking action with its annual event, the Utah Sleep Out, held at its Ogden homeless shelter. The event invites community members to spend a night outside in the cold — a symbolic gesture to raise awareness and funds for youth experiencing homelessness.

Dozens gathered Friday night, bundled up and ready to brave the chill, all in support of providing essential resources like transitional housing, financial literacy classes, and mental health support for young people in crisis.

Among the attendees was Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart and a board member of Youth Futures. He praised the organization's mission and emphasized the urgent need for community involvement.

"The need for help, from everyone out there, is huge. I think it's a wonderful way of stepping forward to move our children forward," Smart said. "When we think about the future of our society, the youth are growing up to take those positions. So being able to provide a stable environment and helping those that are in trauma, and that are going through difficult times, I think this is what Youth Futures is all about."

Smart and his family experienced their own trauma after their daughter, Elizabeth, was abducted from her Salt Lake City home, June 5, 2002. For 9 months, Elizabeth Smart experienced the unthinkable: rape, starvation and being chained to a tree at a campground by her captors.

Smart continued, "When Elizabeth came home after what she had been through. I felt like, you know, I want to see her succeed. I want to see her thrive. And that is what Youth Futures is trying to do for all of these kids in all of these different situations. So for me, it's just like a perfect fit.

Also present was Lauren Affuant, a former Youth Futures resident who now serves on the board. Her story is a testament to the shelter's impact.

"This is the place that I really had to make my own decisions," Affuant shared. "I once was a resident here, so I'm advocating for the youth. … I'm their voice."

According to Melissa Freigang, external relations director at Youth Futures, more than 7,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 17 experience homelessness in Utah each year — even if just for one night.

According to research from Chapin Hall, young adults without a high school diploma or GED were four times more likely to have experienced homelessness in the past year (2017) than young adults with a high school diploma or GED.

This year, Youth Futures aims to raise $100,000 to continue its mission. So far, they're halfway to their goal. Supporters can contribute by donating directly or purchasing items from the event's fundraiser, which includes gift baskets, Minky Couture blankets and gift cards donated by local businesses.

With federal funding currently frozen due to the government shutdown, events like the Utah Sleep Out are more critical than ever. If you missed Saturday's Utah Sleep Out event in Ogden, there's another opportunity in St. George on Nov. 15.

To learn more about Youth Futures' upcoming events or how to donate, visit the website here.

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