Brenton is Running to End Youth Homelessness!

This year I'm running the Los Angeles Marathon Charity Challenge (my first marathon ever!) to support My Friend's Place and their work to end youth homelessness.

My Friend's Place is an organization in Los Angeles dedicated to ending youth homelessness. They offer comprehensive services to nearly 1,400 homeless youth between the ages of 12 and 25 each year with health care, safety, crisis care, housing case management, education, employment, parenting, meals, clothing, and activities such as creative arts. During COVID, since many other organizations closed their doors, they have also been distributing thousands of meals to homeless adults.

A little more information about youth homelessness:

1. More than 4,000 young people experience homelessness on any given night in Los Angeles.
2. 25 percent of former foster youth nationwide reported that they had been homeless at least one night within two-and-a-half to four years after exiting foster care.
3. It is estimated that 100,000 children are victims of commercial sexual exploitation each year.  Homeless and runaway youth are the most vulnerable population.
4. 40 percent of the runaway and homeless youth population identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) as compared to 10 percent in the general population.
5. About 25 percent of the homeless population has a serious mental illness, including chronic depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.

Thank you for your love and support. This is an important cause and will make a significant and immediate difference in the lives of homeless youth in Los Angeles. 

Love,

Brenton