ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Will Lundergan found himself homeless, jobless and alone when he turned 18.
- St. Pete shelter Family Resources aids homeless youth
- Florida is among top 10 states where youth homeless live
- Family Resources is fundraising to build a 24-hour center
It’s estimated that more than one million youth are homeless in America on any given night, and Florida ranks among the top 10 states where those homeless live.
Lundergan turned to Family Resources, a St. Petersburg organization that helped him find a path toward self sufficiency.
The shelter has been helping young people in need since 1978, especially youth in the LGBTQ community.
Now, it’s working toward a bigger task in helping LGBTQ youth: a 24-hour resource center.
"Even though LGBTQ+ young people only account for 7 percent of the youth population, they account for up to 40 percent of the youth homeless population," said Dr. Lisa Davis, president and CEO of Family Resources. "So we felt like it was really important to serve such a disproportionately homeless population."
The group is helping Lundergan get into college in West Palm Beach.
"I think my future looks very bright," he said.
When built, the 24-hour resource center "would be the first point of contact so that we could get young people who are vulnerable, maybe not homeless yet," Davis said.
"We will definitely see our share of homeless youth but give them things such as a place to put their belongings, a locker, and make sure that we can start building those relationships and that connection so that they build the trust."
Fundraising is underway for the new center, which Family Resources hopes will help others such as Lundergan.
"Ultimately, it's like looking out of a really great window, like this big thing. I'm excited for it," he said.
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