My teenage son expects that he’s going to college. He expects that he’ll get his own car soon, and that anytime he needs jeans or shoes or a trip to the movies, Mom and Dad will take care of it. We’re a normal family with normal lives. It took us a little while to figure out how not normal life is for some close to us.

Last week, I had a sobering subject for you. It’s difficult to believe that there might be a significant population of homeless youth in Saline County. They can be invisible, since many of them have friends who bring them over to their house for a night or three or a week. Some kids aren’t so lucky.

On April 20th,Yvonne Dougherty of the Saline County Adult Education Center wrote on MySaline.com about kids coming in to get their GED. When they got to the address part of filling out forms, it would become evident that there was a shelter problem. She was just venting – telling us about her broken heart for the ones passing through there that she was only able to assist for the moment. I immediately connected with her sentiment, since we’ve helped a few ourselves right here in Benton.

We’ve helped a family that was evicted. A single mom who wasn’t working, and thusly, no insurance to get her depression meds. The illness made her unable to get a job. Her two teenage daughters were struggling in part-time jobs to help, and got an unnatural early maturity about their behavior.

We helped a 16-year-old boy last summer. His being out of school posed a burden on his unemployed parents. I suspected drug abuse was to blame for their situation.

One day in February, after church was over, a 17-year-old was offhandedly mentioning that he’d been kicked out by his mother and wasn’t sure where he would sleep. The realization didn’t kick in until we were nearly to the car. Jim and I just looked at each other. We had to let him stay over until he worked things out. It turned out to be a good decision. The boy was a mess. He had been expelled from school. Money from his part-time job was going to his mom who wasn’t working. Their relationship was twisted into him being the provider. Yet he couldn’t be her security, and she couldn’t be his.

We don’t hold any special training in these situations other than common sense and decent upbringing. But we were able to listen to this boy. We could take care of his basic needs. Eventually, he grew out of being the dog who wouldn’t roll over for you to scratch his stomach. He was able to be vulnerable. He was able to trust.

Today, that boy is 18 and has his GED, a registered car with insurance and a good job. He is also enrolled to go to Pulaski Tech in a few weeks. We didn’t push him to get his GED or buy him a car or pull strings for a job. We did push him to go to college. We provided the security of knowing the basics are there. We loved him though he wasn’t ours, and somehow, he came to belong to us.

We went Thursday afternoon to recommend him for a job as a youth minister. He’s got heart and he knows where rock bottom is. I don’t think he would trade his life. He knows he can use it to recognize others like him.

Yvonne’s rant on MySaline.com caused locals to come together to do something other than just talk. A group was formed called Within REACH, Inc. REACH stands for redirection, education, avocation, counseling and housing. “Within reach” is where we – yes, I’m in the group – hope to put a normal life for the homeless youth of Saline County.

The board of directors for Within REACH includes: Yvonne Dougherty, Director of the Saline County Adult Education Center; Curtis Wilson, Treasurer for the City of Shannon Hills; Brent Standridge, Attorney at Law; Shelli Russell, founder of MySaline.com; Dave Hall, studio musician and electrician; and "Angry Patrick" Beam, comedian and public relations specialist.

As the first major benefit for Within REACH, the group is hosting a festival called "Saline-O-Ween," on Halloween at the Saline County Fairgrounds. There will be rides and games, a pageant for those with inner beauty, a chance to plant a pie on local celebrities, and an all-day concert with local and national acts. We hope to attract a crowd in the several thousands for this inaugural event.

We're currently filling booth and concession space, so please contact us through MySaline.com about that. We’d also love to have you volunteer to help local youths by participating in this event or joining the Within REACH group long-term.

This column appeared in the Benton Courier on 08/02/09
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