The National Conference of State Legislatures is holding a forum on youth policy this week, and one topic is getting a lot of attention: homelessness.
The New Orleans Times-Picayune has a Q&A with Conrad Ontimara, who was just 6 years old when Hurricane Katrina destroyed his family's home in New Orleans.
His parents lost their jobs and turned to drugs, and when he was a teen, his father was murdered during a drug run and his mother died from an overdose.
"I don't want you guys to feel bad when I sit up here and trauma dump," Ontimara told lawmakers.
He's one of five students who spoke at the recent forum, all part of the SchoolHouse Connection scholarship program, which helps students who have experienced homelessness get "to and through" higher education and into the workforce.
Now, four of the students are enrolled in college, and one is working full time with plans to go to college this fall.Lexi Geampa grew up in Newport, Ore., with parents who struggled with mental health disorders and substance abuse.
"This led me to enduring neglect both physically and emotionally," she says.
"I was exposed to a lot of violence within their social circles.
Ultimately, I made the Read the Entire Article
A customized collection of grant news from foundations and the federal government from around the Web.
The Social Economy Alliance members had launched its I vote for a social economy, a campaign calling for a more social economy in Britain, at an open mic event in Manchester.