Documentary: Lost in America

Watching Lost in America, a documentary on homeless youth in America has expanded my knowledge to the vastness of the homelessness problem facing our children today. The statistics and causes presented throughout this doc are shocking. Until 2017, a national study has never been conducted on homeless youth in America because there was never any funding for it. It was assumed that there were between 48,000 to 2.8 million homeless youth, but when the first study was finally conducted, these numbers were far from accurate. In the year 2017 alone, it was estimated that there were 4 million American youths between the ages of 13-25 living without a home. Of these 4 million, 40% are LGBTQ children and 75% of those were rejected or kicked out by their family. Many homeless youth are victims of sexual and physical abuse by their parents and have no choice but to live on the streets rather than continue to live in a dangerous home. One girl that was interviewed gave explicit details of being raped and molested by her father as a child and living on the streets was the only way to get her out of this horrific situation. The failure of the foster care system is also a cause of youth homelessness and the lack of support after a 17 year old child "ages out" of the system. These children don't want to be homeless and they aren't just "bad seeds" choosing to run away from home. They are all victims to circumstances that led them to where they are today. They are looked at with judgement, disdain, ignored, and treated like they don't exist. One of the most eye-opening things I learned from watching this film is that the homeless crisis is a relatively new phenomenon that begin in the early 1980s when there was a push by the government to save money on social service programs. Most mental institutions were closed down and the budget for housing support was cut significantly, which resulted in people being forced to live on the streets with no help or family to rely on. Like most Americans, I used to assume that homelessness is an issue that the government is dealing with. In reality, what the government does provide is not nearly enough and the numbers of homelessness continue to rise yearly, and funding continues to be cut. In 2015, the US Senate failed to pass an act to protect homeless youth without discrimination for their circumstances. Do they just not care? There are 5,000 shelters put in place for animals but less than 400 across the country for homeless children. Until drastic measures are passed, it is up to us as citizens to do what we can to help our homeless neighbors around us. The director went out and interviewed some of these young people to see why they are in their situations what they face on a daily. Some of the many dangers of being a youth living on the streets include violence, sex trafficking, drug and alcohol addiction, and death. It is estimated that more than 3,000 youth are trafficked and 5,000 homeless youth die on the streets of America every year. 1 in 3 homeless youth will be lured into sex trafficking within 48 hours of leaving home. Children living homeless should not be accepted in America. Growing up in a Christian home, I had a heartbreaking and relatable moment when I heard the story of a LGBTQ youth talk about how after he was kicked out of his home for being gay. When he had nowhere else to go, he turned to his church where he attended faithfully to help him and they turned him away for the same reason. The way I was raised, I would assume I would be in the same situation as he was if I came out as gay, which to me does not show Jesus' love. We as Christians need to be better and love our children unconditionally the way God loves us. I loved the solution this doc gave to help solve this overwhelming homeless issue. We don’t need to solve the problem for the millions across the country, we just need to help one homeless person at a time in our own communities. Small acts of kindness like acknowledging a them as human beings, saying hello, giving them a meal, socks, or a blanket can go a long way in making this world a more livable place. Whatever I can do to remind my homeless neighbors that they do matter, I see them, and they are not invisible will make a difference.

Go to lostinamericafilm.com to find out how to watch and learn more about Lost in America.