Columnist Sandy Thompson: Center reaches out to homeless youth

Sandy Thompson

Friday, Oct. 26, 2001 | 4:58 a.m.

At 8 p.m. the teens leave and go back to where they live -- on the streets of Las Vegas.

The teens are among Las Vegas' "hidden population," according to David Mereaux, president of Street Teens. The nonprofit volunteer group staffs a new drop-in center for homeless teens in cooperation with the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth.

An estimated 3,000 youths in the Las Vegas area are homeless or "couch surf" (spend different nights with friends or relatives). The average age is 16, although some kids have been on the streets since age 8. Many are between 11 and 14 years old.

Not all are delinquents or druggies. A staggering 80 percent of homeless youth were sexually or physically abused before they left home, Mereaux says. Not all are homeless by choice. "I don't believe an 11-year-old kid chooses to be on the streets. Maybe the older ones do because it's better than the alternative," he says.

Mereaux, who worked with Children of the Night in California before moving to Las Vegas within the last two years, and his fellow volunteers operate on a "100 percent confidential basis with these kids." That's what separates them from other programs.

The first step in approaching homeless teens is taking care of their "survival" needs -- food, clothing, hygiene products. Then the adult volunteers work to build the teens' trust.

"We never lie to a kid. If we say we're going to do something, we do it. These kids have been through disappointments. They don't trust adults or authority. Almost all suffer from low self-esteem," Mereaux says.

The volunteers also help teens get needed documents such as birth certificates and health cards.

Making contact with the kids is a time-consuming process. Not long ago, Mereaux and his volunteers walked the streets for three months and found only five youths who would trust them enough to come to the center. Some kids don't want to be found. Others use the center as an opportunity to get themselves together, get off drugs and to return home. Providing simple things like food and clothing can help teens change their lives.

The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth was the driving force behind the center, which is located in a small house in a commercial area on East Tropicana. There, the teens can take a shower, wash and dry their clothes, get food or food vouchers, play video games, watch TV, work on computers, read or just sleep.

"It's just a moment of peace for them," says Kathleen Boutin with the homeless youth partnership.

The Leadership Las Vegas Class of 2001 renovated the house so it's a comfortable, home-like atmosphere. Outside in the back are basketball and volleyball courts and a picnic area. A mobile medical clinic also stops by at certain times.

Security measures abound to ensure the kids' safety. No youth is allowed without one or two adults being present. But the adults are not intrusive. In some cases they are a referral source if a teen wants to be reunited with his/her family. Sometimes they will encourage teens to let their families know they are OK. The volunteers also help the teens either to go back to school or to get their GEDs.

Sometimes volunteers will pick up the youths and bring them to the center. They are seeking donation of a van to transport the youths.

Homeless adults often make local headlines and the 6 o'clock news. Politicians argue over shelters and services for them. Rarely do we hear about homeless youths. Thanks to the efforts of Mereaux, Boutin and a community-wide coalition, they are getting attention.

And for at least four hours a day, the kids are safe from worries of getting raped or mugged on the streets or in the adult shelters. For four hours a day, they can be kids again.