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Community going green for youth homelessness awareness | WFRV Local 5

APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV)-There are over 17,000 homeless youth in Wisconsin schools according to the most recent data from the Wisconsin Department of Public Education.

About 4.2 million children experience homelessness in the United States.

DPI has a broad definition of youth homelessness which can be found here. It includes kids that are staying with friends and relatives or who are staying at places that aren’t intended for long-term housing like hotels.

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November is National Runaway and Homeless Youth Prevention month and a local organization launched an initiative to spread awareness about the issue.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Fox Valley`s Home Base program is partnering with over 60 area businesses and organizations. They will display green footprints on their front doors and windows which will raise awareness on the issue, show people that the business is a safe place for youth in the community, and show solidarity towards people in the community experiencing homelessness.

The fountain in Houdini Plaza will also be lit up green throughout the month of November. Green is the color that symbolizes youth homelessness.

New Moon Cafe in Oshkosh is one of the organizations participating in the initiative.

“This place has always been a safe haven for young kids, especially kids that need a safe place to be,” said the co-owner. “That’s why we stay open late.”

The Appleton Area School District is also participating in the initiative. Executive Director of Youth Services Laura Jackson said the district has about 260 homeless youth which is actually lower than it was just a year ago.

“It doesn’t take long for someone who feels like they are stable to find themselves homeless,” said Jackson.

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School district officials said they work hard to connect homeless students and their families to resources within the community. Jackson said the biggest key is for the school district to provide stability to the students while they’re at school.

Appleton Area School District officials also said they make sure to remove barriers so that kids can still participate in extracurricular activities.

“If you’re concerned about somebody who you think is experiencing homelessness and you want to reach out and get direct support to them contact your school principal and they will refer you to the individual resources,” said Jackson.

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