By Kelly Evenson
kelly.evenson@examiner.net
One of the most important things that the Boy Scouts of America organization teaches young people is serving others.
“That is simply part of the Scouting program,” said Tracy Whitt, of Boy Scout Trop 603 in Blue Springs. “Part of this organization is helping the boys to do community service projects and reach out to the community. We do all kinds of projects to meet that goal.”
Next week, Boy Scout Troop 603 is participating in a different kind of project – One Homeless Night. The goal of the event, sponsored by Synergy Services and other community partners, is to give teenagers in the Kansas City area an idea of what it is like to be homeless.
Teenagers from throughout the metropolitan area will “sleep out” in cardboard boxes Nov. 13 to not only raise awareness of homelessness, but to also raise money for programs that address it, such as Synergy. The Kansas City-based organization has been helping homeless youth since the 1970s with shelter and other supportive services.
“More than 2,000 of our community’s youth are homeless on any given night,” said Laurie Jackson, associate executive director for Synergy Services. “Abuse, neglect and other serious problems have put these children in a state of need, and this will give area students a chance to step into their shoes for one night, while at the same time providing critical help.”
Troop 603’s cardboard town will be at First Christian Church, 701 N.W. 15th Street. In addition to camping out for the night, the troop is planning other activities including a guest speaker from Synergy and a “HoBo Fashion Show” to further draw attention to those who do not have a home.
“We were looking for an opportunity to help our community, and this was one that the boys seemed to be really excited about,” Whitt said. “This project focuses on homeless youth, teenagers our boys age. I think this project, more than some others, really hits home the seriousness of this issue.”
The week following One Homeless Night, Synergy will open its Homeless Youth Campus that includes a youth shelter and comprehensive resource center for homeless young people. The 24,000-square-foot Youth Resiliency Center will provide mental counseling, medical and dental care, life skills training, a computer lab, showers, lockers and an interactive learning center to teenagers.
To access the youth campus or other associated supportive services, individuals can call the youth crisis line at 816-741-8700.
