A Message From Our Youth Leaders

Dear Friend,

Each November, I share a message to shine a spotlight on National Homeless Youth Awareness Month and National Runaway Prevention Month – a time to acknowledge those children and young adults facing homelessness and its associated traumas.

I share research, statistics and updates on our work in an effort to make what’s often invisible – the issue of youth homelessness – visible.

This year, I want to share the words of Pathfinders’ Power of Paths Youth Action Board – a group of smart, strategic and creative Milwaukee young people aged 11-25 working together to address youth homelessness.

“You may not see us, but we are here. A young person might make it to school, but they don’t have a stable place to stay at night. A youth might be living with their mom in their car, but you don’t see that. You might not notice that young person who wears the same clothes on rotation, or the one whose energy is always low. You don’t see the nearly 12,000 youth and young adults facing homelessness each year right here in Milwaukee County.

Regardless of whether you see us or not, unhoused youth and young adults matter. We have pride. We have goals. We are leaders. We have a voice. We are the future of this community, and we need support on our journeys… just like any other young person.

Homelessness makes young people feel like we aren’t ourselves anymore. Without a home, we can’t think about school or contribute to society. Our mental health deteriorates. We feel judged. We feel less than human, like stray animals just trying to survive. Every night when the sun goes down, we’re not sure if someone is going to snatch us and no one is ever going to see us again. There is no certainty about tomorrow.

Housing changes lives. When we have a safe place to call home, we can shift our focus from survival to helping others. We want to make sure no other young people experience what we’ve experienced. We understand youth homelessness and we know what needs to happen to address it.

As a Youth Action Board, we are making an impact right here in Milwaukee. We’ve been weighing in on important issues at the state capitol and in local board rooms. Our power has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development; in 2023, we secured $3 million in federal funding for the next two years in Milwaukee through the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Project. We have a plan for this funding that will prioritize young adults experiencing homelessness. The climb out of homelessness can be steep, but with housing and strong, supportive people on our side, Milwaukee’s unhoused youth will find our footing.

November is Youth Homelessness Awareness Month. As a community, we don’t talk about youth homelessness enough. We need you to help amplify this message. Share what you’ve read here with your friends and family. Talk about homelessness without stigmatizing the people experiencing it. Support programs like Pathfinders that provide housing and resources so we can climb the ladder to stability.

You may not see us, but we are here. We want to contribute to the community, but we need you to let us. Youth homelessness is complex, but the solution is clear: we need housing and the support of our community. Join us and invest in a brighter future…for us, for other unhoused youth and for Milwaukee.”

Your investments make our work possible. By addressing both housing and homelessness prevention work, in tandem with supportive services, Pathfinders will have a positive and profound impact not only on these young people, but also on their children, their children’s children, and for the future of our entire community.

Yours in gratitude,

Tim Baack
President & CEO

Want to learn more about Pathfinders’ services for youth experiencing sexual exploitation? Contact Pathfinders’ Development Team at Development@PathfindersMKE.org.