Disconnection on your doorstep
One thing that surprised in my research for Abandoned is how the disconnection of so many young people is a crisis hidden in plain sight.
For instance, if you live in the Washington, D.C. area, you might be familiar with a neighborhood in the heart of the city called Columbia Heights. This is one of the gentrifying places of the city, with a brand-new Target, some hip new coffee shops and all the other signs of a neighborhood on the move.
In the middle of all this prosperity is a drop-in shelter for homeless young adults that's run by the Latin American Youth Center. It's been there since the 1970s - when Columbia Heights was one of the rougher parts of northwest D.C. - and still serves about 600 homeless young adults a month. In fact, when I dropped by the other day, they told me they had extended their hours, from 7 am to 7 pm., to keep up with the need.
The drop-in center is essentially a day shelter for homeless young people. If you go, you’ll see some laundry machines so kids can wash their clothes. There’s a quiet room with bunks so kids can take a nap for a few hours in a safe place. You can get a sandwich, a toothbrush, or take a shower. There's a room full of donated clothes.
The youth disconnection rate in D.C. is about 9 percent – which is actually lower than the national average. But when you go to a place like the Latin American Youth Center, it’s clear that it’s still too high. And if not for places like LAYC, it would likely be higher still.
For instance, if you live in the Washington, D.C. area, you might be familiar with a neighborhood in the heart of the city called Columbia Heights. This is one of the gentrifying places of the city, with a brand-new Target, some hip new coffee shops and all the other signs of a neighborhood on the move.
In the middle of all this prosperity is a drop-in shelter for homeless young adults that's run by the Latin American Youth Center. It's been there since the 1970s - when Columbia Heights was one of the rougher parts of northwest D.C. - and still serves about 600 homeless young adults a month. In fact, when I dropped by the other day, they told me they had extended their hours, from 7 am to 7 pm., to keep up with the need.
The drop-in center is essentially a day shelter for homeless young people. If you go, you’ll see some laundry machines so kids can wash their clothes. There’s a quiet room with bunks so kids can take a nap for a few hours in a safe place. You can get a sandwich, a toothbrush, or take a shower. There's a room full of donated clothes.
The youth disconnection rate in D.C. is about 9 percent – which is actually lower than the national average. But when you go to a place like the Latin American Youth Center, it’s clear that it’s still too high. And if not for places like LAYC, it would likely be higher still.
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