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I STILL WISH I WAS YOUNG, I STILL WISH I WAS AT MY MOM'S RIGHT NOW, HER HELPING ME OUT, YOU KNOW
WHEN THE YOUTH COME TO YOUTH OPPORTUNITY CENTER DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY NEED
THEY ARE REFERRED THESE DIFFERENT AGENCIES ALL OVER
HENNEPIN COUNTY COMMUNITY TO GET WHAT THEY NEED
FOOD STAMPS, SO I CAN EAT (LAUGH)
PRETTY BIG THINGS, TWO THINGS THAT I NEED IN SURVIVAL, FOOD AND HEALTHCARE
AND I NEED HEALTHCARE
IT'S THE COUNTY THAT NOT ONLY PROVIDED FUNDING, MUCH OF THE FUNDING FOR THIS
ALONG WITH THE PRIVATE FUNDERS, BUT THEY PROVIDED THE LEADERSHIP AND IMPETUS FOR IT
AND IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR FORESIGHT AND VISION THAT WE ARE HERE TODAY
WE OFTEN LOOK TO HENNEPIN COUNTY FOR MODELS FOR THING THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO ACROSS THE COUNTRY
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING WITH YOUTH AT ITS DEVELOPMENT PIECE AS WELL AS
LOOKING AT THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES WHY THEY'RE HOMELESS, WHY THEY HAVE NO MONEY TO AFFORD A PLACE TO LIVE
AND WORK ON A LOT OF STRATEGIES TO SHORE UP
ALL THE PIECES OF THEIR LIVES THEY HAVE TO GET TOGETHER TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN
WE NEED TO HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE WHICH WE DO NOW, AND ARE INCREASINGLY TRYING TO EXPAND
TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE ADULT MENTORS IN THEIR LIVES
JUST LIKE ALL YOUNG PEOPLE NEED, AND THAT THEY GET THE HELP THEY NEED TO GET THEIR LIVES BACK ON TRACK
THEY ARE WORTH SAVING, THEY ARE WORTH DOING SOMETHING WITH, AND TOO OFTEN WE FORGET THEM
BUT THEY'RE AN EMERGING ADULT POPULATION, I ALWAYS CONSIDER THEM AS OPPORTUNITIES
THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US AS A COMMUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE,
SO THEY CAN GO ON TO BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS
THE ONE THING REALLY INSPIRES ME THE MOST ABOUT THE YOUTH IS THEIR OPTIMISM
THAT THEY DON'T INTEND FOR THIS TO BE LONG TERM, AND I THINK WE NEED TO CAPITALIZE ON THEIR OPTIMISM
THEY'RE READY TO TRY TO DO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING TO GET BACK TO HOUSING
SO I THINK WE AS A COMMUNITY NEED TO BE JUST AS WILLING TO TRY ANYTHING TO HELP THEM
MY FAMILY'S BACKGROUND PUSHES ME TOO, BECAUSE WE GOT THE CYCLE WHERE
NOT ALL OF US GO TO COLLEGE OR GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL SO
I WANNA BEAT THAT CYCLE AND TURN TO SOMETHING POSITIVE
IT'S NOT ONLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO, THE NOTION THAT IN OUR COMMUNITY
WHERE WE HAVE SO MANY RESOURCES AND SO MUCH OPPORTUNITY HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES
THAT WE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE HOMELESS AND LIVING ON THE STREETS
EVEN IN THE COLDEST OF WINTER DAYS IS REALLY UNCONSCIONABLE
BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT THE KIND OF COMMUNITY WE ALL WANNA LIVE IN