FAMILY CONNECTION INC

Tyler was a runaway and homeless youth who ended up in Birmingham tired, hungry and no place to go. Desperate, he accepted an offer of food and a place to stay from a man at the bus station. At the man’s house, Tyler was held against his will, physically abused and forced into prostitution. Eventually, he escaped and contacted Family Connection through a Runaway Hotline. Tyler was picked up by Family Connection staff and brought to the safety of our Residential Youth Shelter.

Unfortunately, Tyler’s story is not an isolated incident. According to Congressional Research Studies over 1 million youth runaway each year. Without assistance many of these young people have no option other than eating out of dumpsters, frequenting party houses, and living in abandoned buildings/tunnels. Quickly, they are drawn into gangs, shoplifting, survival sex, and/or dealing drugs in order to earn money for food, shelter, clothing, and other daily living necessities. Living without the supervision, nurturance, and support young people need, these youth are at highest risk of failing in their adult roles as workers, parents and citizens. Among the serious problems they face are school failure, long-term homelessness, delinquent activities, drug dependency, early pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, inability to maintain employment, and sometimes death.

Family Connection provides the only residential youth shelter and drop-in day center in the Greater Birmingham Metropolitan area offering a place of respite, support and healing for 175 young people in crisis.

Serving the Greater Birmingham Metro area including Birmingham, Hoover, Pelham, Alabaster, Columbiana, Montevallo, Calera and Chelsea.

Keywords: Runaway, homeless, at-risk, youth, children, shelter, and counseling.