Help for Youth: A Letter from Eric Gilmore
Eric Gilmore, Executive Director
I will never forget watching as Meagan's caseworker dropped her off at the bus station in downtown North Little Rock. Meagan stepped out of foster care and onto a bus to return to family the day after her 18th birthday.
My wife and I were one of the 50 placements Meagan experienced while in foster care. We knew Meagan was unprepared and unequipped for the journey ahead. The injustice of her situation overwhelmed us.
Around 200 similar stories occur in Arkansas each year: stories like Meagan's, where youth transition out of foster care unprepared for adulthood. Most of these are stories of childhood trauma that lingers into life as a teen.
If unaddressed, the trauma continues into adulthood and impacts every part of life. Nothing is safe--not their cognitive, or their emotional, or even their physical development. The statistics on this would stagger you. These teens experience hardships for the rest of their lives.
Nearly 40 percent of youth who age out of foster care will experience homelessness before their 24th birthday. In addition, one in three teens on the street will be lured into prostitution within 48 hours of leaving home. And unfortunately, youth who experience homelessness are three times more likely to commit suicide than their peers.
It's time for a change.
With support, prayers, and dedication from many partners and colleagues, we're opening the doors to Arkansas' first shelter designed specifically for youth ages 18-24.
We call it The Station.
The Station is more than a shelter. It's a dorm-style residence and launch pad for life. We designed The Station to reach beyond conventional models of group-based housing to meet the unique needs of youth who exit the foster-care system.
The Station serves as a 90-day temporary shelter tailored to comfortably house youth as they work with their care team to develop a plan for next steps. It features 15 individual suites that offer a private bedroom and bathroom for each guest. The Station also houses a communal kitchen and laundry room to create space for gathering, routines, and other norms of a home. Counseling rooms and meeting spaces are also on-site for guests to meet with their care team as they plan for life beyond The Station.
From securing stable housing with a family member to stepping into our transitional living program, LifeBASE, The Station will be everything we wished would have been available to Meagan the day she turned 18.
From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of all future Meagans who find restoration at The Station, I thank you. You, along with hundreds of others who care, have donated, volunteered, mentored, prayed, or participated in countless ways. I've been amazed to see our community here in Arkansas come together to build extra support for our youth who need it. We're excited for what's ahead and the futures our youth will build.