HALO is trying to tackle a new issue, the homeless youth of Jefferson City.
The Helping Art Liberate Orphans foundation has 13 orphanages around the world. They serve around 450 kids in Kansas City through the city's multiple shelters and organizations to help homeless youth, but Jefferson City does not have the same resources as Kansas City.
"We did start internationally, but when we came back to the states we started realizing the needs here," HALO founder Rebecca Welsh said. "Jefferson City has been the biggest wake up call for me personally. I now live here and have realized just in the last eight to ten months how much need there is in our community."
Through personal surveys, talking with principals and homeless liaisons in the school district, Welsh estimates there are 135 homeless youths in Jefferson City. These children sleep in parks, cars or with friends because going home is not an option. Some of their parents are addicted to drugs or incarcerated. Some have abandoned their children.
"This is a big need in this community and it just doesn't have a lot of resources to help minors specifically," the foundation's Elle Benage said. "We are constantly doing research on who are the most at-risk kids, where are they, and what resources are there to help them."
At the moment the program provides transitional living for two teenagers, but there are several more who Benage and Welsh are trying to help. One young woman they are attempting to help had to take a break from school after finding her boyfriend who had committed suicide. Her father had abandoned her, and she was not able to live with her drug-addicted mother, Benage said.
Another girl was forced to marry a 22-year-old man by her father who lacked the funds to keep her fed. Her husband abused her, and she had his child at age 14. She is now divorced, and the ex-husband is in jail for abusing her and their son.
"There are countless situations like that," Benage said. "The amount of challenge these kids have to come through on their own without parents to help them, it is just amazing."
During an informational meeting at the HALO center, Circuit Court Judge Pat Joyce said she personally knew one of the children mentioned, and that without mentoring from programs like HALO these kids will end up in prison, or worse.
"They have no hope," Joyce said. "It is a continuing need. This is not just like a bump in the road. It has gone on for a very long time. I think the one-on-one really does make a difference in their lives. They do change their lives and it is one-on-one mentoring that does it."
The program is not for any child who leaves their parents and home. HALO workers carefully screen the youths to find out who really needs help. In HALO housing, the children have free rent and utilities but are required to be in school, have a job, save a portion of their income and complete courses that will teach them how to live independently, Benage said. These courses teach things like cooking, parenting and finance skills.
The future goal for the program is to be able to house at least 18 teens who are separated into three groups: boys, girls and pregnant girls. To achieve this goal, HALO workers will have to apply for grants, form partnerships, secure more funds and raise more awareness on the issue.
Willing donators can give money or items such as furnishings for apartments or parenting supplies. People also can donate time by joining the HALO Home Team and help the program form partnerships and network with the community to find more resources. To find out more about HALO and its new goal go to facebook.com/HALOJeffersonCity.