Teens in Need
Teen homelessness is a crisis many Americans don’t often think about. Unfortunately, this issue affects thousands of teens every single day. 43% of homeless youth are unsheltered — sleeping outside, in a car, or somewhere not meant for human habitation. Even more dangerous is the plight of a teenage parent without a home. Nearly 4.2 million adolescents and young adults in America experience some type of homelessness during a 12-month period. This statistic shows that majority are pregnant or young parents, exposing young children to unclean and potentially harmful environments.
In the face of such a concerning epidemic, Youth For Christ (YFC, www.yfc.net), a leader in the missional ministry community, is ready and willing to go out and impact lives for the Gospel by providing life-changing support for both teen parents and their children.
Lincoln Area YFC
Matt Schulte is Lincoln Area YFC’s Executive Director. “There are about 23,000 kids in our area, and we are engaging with about 1,000 of them,” said Schulte. “We have several different ministries, including Campus Life and City Life, but our Parent Life outreach is really growing rapidly.”
Brooke Fullerton is Lincoln Area YFC’s Parent Life Director. Fullerton said, “The biggest issue for many of the teen moms we work with is homelessness. Many of them are couch surfing with their babies just for somewhere to sleep. It’s heartbreaking to check in on these girls and their children in such unsafe environments. Thankfully we are well-connected with the local homeless shelters, food banks, and public schools to help provide support and aid.
God’s Reveal
“We had one girl who was born addicted to meth. Unfortunately, her two parents were never able to properly care for her. She is now a teen mother herself and is just being beaten down by the world. After finally leaving her abusive boyfriend, she and her baby bounced between houses for months. During all that, we still helped her get her license and a car for more mobility. She then found out that she has cancer — thankfully it’s curable, but it’s yet another hurdle in her life. She was very angry with God at first, but we continued to love and support her during this time. God revealed Himself to be incredibly faithful. She is starting to receive the medical help she needs. A wonderful family also volunteered to house her and her child so they have a safe place to stay. This teen mom is now on fire for the Gospel. She recently asked me what kind of Bible I would recommend for her to buy for her friends! It’s amazing to see how God worked through her incredibly difficult situation.”
God’s Love
Unfortunately, stories like this happen far too often. “We have another teen mom who was forced to have an abortion by her parents. She got pregnant again and refused to get another abortion. That led her parents to abandon her at a homeless shelter,” Fullerton said. “She later told me that she had her ultrasound and saw her baby’s heartbeat. In that moment, she felt God touch her and she knew she needed to save his life. Fortunately, her boyfriend is wonderful and they are getting married soon to try to work together towards a better life for their child. They all have been coming to our church and learning more about how much God loves them. She told me recently, ‘I know that God is out there and working in my life. I know he did when He told me to save my baby.’
“It’s stories like these that make this work — while difficult — so rewarding. God is the only answer for broken hearts and messy stories. He shows up in these situations and shows His redeeming love in ways that we never could have imagined. We at YFC are just blessed to be part of the story.”
