Green Light Project Raises Awareness of Runaway Youth
Exposing the Numbers exhibit
November is National Runaway Prevention Month and Sojourners is joining organizations all across the country in the fight against youth homelessness. National Runaway Prevention Month is co-sponsored each year by the National Runaway Switchboard and the National Network for Youth. The goals of the month are to raise awareness about the issues that runaways and homeless youth face and educate the public about solutions preventing youth from running away from home. The theme for 2012 is “Numbers Tell the Story”.
Sojourners will join the effort by taking part in the Green Light Project, which is the symbol for National Runaway Prevention Month. The organization will sponsor a number of activities in Athens, Jackson, Ross, and Vinton counties.
The numbers around runaway and homeless youth are really daunting. For instance, 2.8 million teens run away from home each year, and 32,953 children were homeless in Ohio last year.
“Exposing the Numbers” exhibits will be placed in county schools, government offices, and other community locations. The exhibits are made up of cardboard boxes painted with green, black and white statistics about runaway and homeless youth.
These exhibits are basically boxes of different sizes placed in a big pile. Each box has a statistic about young people who run away. Boxes are used because kids on the street often find shelter in cardboard boxes. It’s a striking, visual way of getting this information out to the community.
On November 1, Sojourners staff and participants will take part in a national social media day of action, using social media to encourage their friends and acquaintances to share information about runaway and homeless youth with others.
Every Thursday through November Sojourners staff are encouraging people to wear green socks.
We’ve had a lot of fun with our green sock Thursdays. The idea is that when people ask you why you are wearing bright green socks it gives you an opportunity to talk to them about runaway youth. We have people from all over the region posting pictures of themselves wearing their green socks. Green sock photos can be found on the Green Light Project event page which can be accessed through the Sojourners Facebook page.
This week green light bulbs will be passed out in Athens, Chillicothe, Jackson, and McArthur so home owners can put them in their porch lights to show support.
We will also be hosting an awareness walk in each county to show our support for homelessness youth. Please come out and walk with us and show your support for runaway youth!
Please bring shelf-stable food to the walk to help provide Thanksgiving meals for local families.
ATHENS 6:30PM, November 5, Monday
Athens County Green Light Project Walk, Athens, Ohio
Start/Finish- Athens County Courthouse
1 South Court Street, Athens, Ohio 45701
Walking Route- To the river, one mile there and back
MCARTHUR 6:30PM, November 7, Wednesday
Start/Finish- Sojourners
605 W. Main St. McArthur, Ohio 45651
Walking Route- Up W. Main St. then to Wyman Park
CHILLICOTHE 6:30PM, November 8, Thursday
Ross County Green Light Project Walk, Chillicothe, Ohio
Start/Finish- Ross County YMCA
100 Mill Street, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601
Walking Route- Through Yoctangee Park, less than one mile round trip
JACKSON 6:30PM, November 9, Friday
Jackson County Green Light Project Walk, Jackson, Ohio
Start/Finish- Jackson County Courthouse Parking Lot
295 Broadway Street, Jackson, OH 45640
Walking Route- To Manpower Park, one mile there and back
Lots of green socks
Comments
I had step kids that would run away just because they felt the need. If you told them to go to school they would run out the door and go where ever they wanted. The real scenario is that this world is based on a catch 22 bases. They should of gotten in to trouble for not going to school and they never did. There boyfriends buying them alcohol other friends parents buying them alcohol and they thought this was what we should of been doing for them. Like I said its a catch 22 world. Drink beer with your kids or come up with rules and try to be a real parent. Its a win or lose situation. I know what your article is about and I think its a problem, but kids do create there own little world.
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