Raquel has been homeless since 17. She’s now 19, and this is her first week trying to get her life back together by living in a youth homeless shelter in Denver, Colorado.

Raquel made some bad choices. She said she lived on the streets because her relationship with her mother was not so good, but things are getting better.

Special thanks to Urban Peak

JT currently lives in a youth homeless shelter in Denver, Colorado. He has been homeless since last November. JT is 19.

Most homeless youth ‘couch surf’, which is homeless. The stories I’ve heard are horrible. Not knowing where you are going to sleep, and then having to do ‘things’ do get space on the couch is traumatic and no way to live.

I just happened to look down and noticed JT’s foot. It is infected from walking so much. He couldn’t afford shoes so wore a size too small until he got blisters and open sores.

JT has a job interview coming up and hopes to go back to school.

Special thanks to Urban Peak

I received a call today from Chris, an outreach worker at Denver’s homeless youth services Urban Peak .  He said he had to pick up some kids left stranded by a “sales crew”. I never heard of such a thing so it didn’t “register” or make sense.

When I arrived at their downtown facility I met Jeremy and Alicia. They were left stranded by an organization that exploits homeless youth for labor. These organizations promise great income and fun travel. To a kid in poverty being able to travel and make money is often too sexy to resist. Of course, this is just a labor trafficking scheme. The kids make very little money, are often abused, and when they want out they are left stranded back homeless, often worse than when they started.

Jeremy and Alicia up until this morning were sleeping in a bus station. Alicia is 21 and pregnant. This could have been a horrible situation, but luckily they found Urban Peak. They received a hotel voucher for tonight and will get travel assistance tomorrow so they can take a bus back home.

For more information on labor and sex trafficking of homeless youth watch this powerful interview

Amber and Earl are homeless living on the streets. Today they happened to be traveling through Denver, Colorado, which is where we met.

Amber has been homeless for 4 years now, ever since the day she turned 18. Earl says his first taste of homelessness was at 16. But that he was “straight up” homeless by 17.

Most of us walk by kids that look like Amber and Earl. But they are real people just like you and me. Most street kids were deprived of a normal family life. Most escape with drugs. The streets become home. It is very sad.

watch this very informative video about human trafficking and homeless youth

special thanks to Hanes for the socks

This one wrecked me. I was crossing a street in Salt Lake City and saw Sergei. I asked him if he would like some socks. He responded “I don’t have any money”, which was the first sign Sergei was new to the streets. I just didn’t know how new.

Today is Sergei’s 18th birthday. Today is also his first night homeless.

Many of you have asked for more details. I am sorry but I became emotional and didn’t get much information. Too me, just the look on his face was enough to feel his pain and get some understanding.

Many of you also asked how you can help. Please support homeless youth organizations like Safe Place.

I have worked with homeless youth before in Hollywood, but this was my first time with InvisiblePeople.tv. This year’s road trip I will be going out with a few homeless youth outreach teams. It’s an important story that needs to be told. I just am not sure I am ready. Today my heart was broken.

Please support Safe Place, Covenant House, and similar organizations helping troubled youth. PLEASE!

It’s summer and many people have a second home to get away from the heat. Well, so does Rick. He lives homeless in a tunnel underneath Las Vegas. When the weather is hot like the day we visited he lives near the end of the tunnel because there is a breeze. When colder weather comes he goes deeper into the tunnel for warmth.

Rick has lived in the tunnels off and on for six years. He survives by panhandling, pumping gas, washing windows and odd jobs. He tries to work instead of begging for change.

As we were walking down into the tunnel one of Rick’s friends told me Rick helped him get off the streets by giving him hope. When I asked Rick about this he said, “that’s just what I do”.

I wonder what the world would be like if every person just helped one person get out of homelessness.

Special thanks to Matthew O’Brien

Barry has lived in a tunnel underneath Las Vegas for two months. The tunnels are massive storm drains running under the city. luckily, Barry has yet to experience a rainfall, but his bed and everything else are propped up several feet off the ground just in case.

It’s hard to say how many people live in the storm tunnels beneath the neon. In a way it’s safer than living out in the extreme heat, yet in another it’s like living in a weird science fiction movie. Dark, dirty and completely different than the ‘normal’ world. I’ve been to lots of places where homeless people live, and going into the tunnels was a very surreal experience.

Like many homeless people, Barry is caught in the madness of bureaucracy. Because he has been to prison many Nevada social services wont help. And because he has only lived homeless for two months he is disqualified from others. Of course, finding work is near impossible.

That does not stop him from having dreams. He wants to go to culinary arts school. He wants to better his life. He wants to get out of the dark tunnels.

Special thanks to Matthew O’Brien

If it wasn’t for Linda’s sign I would have never thought she was homeless. Can you picture this woman sleeping outside by the Santa Monica Library?

Years ago she moved to San Fernando Valley with her boyfriend looking for work. He was a union welder for 30 years. The work ended and because of health issues they ended up homeless.

Most of us like to run into old friends. I know I do. But yesterday, although it was good seeing people I had met over a year ago, it wrecked me knowing their situation has not changed. Probably even has become worse.

In November of 2008 I was just starting InvisiblePeople.tv. It was maybe my second time out and my first time to Santa Monica that I first met John. What caught my eye was he had several ‘teddy bears’ attached to his cart. I recorded his story yet never posted it to the Internet. Over a year later I regret I cannot find the footage.

John seems like a very kind, gentle person. I do remember he was much happier when we first met. Life on the streets takes its toll on a person. Today John just says he is “so so”.

I know there are many variables in getting someone off the streets. I also know it is never easy. Yesterday I ran into so many people that continue to live without hope of a better life. There must be something we can do in a few years time to get people off the streets.

What do you think?

I met Vernon in Hollywood. He survives on the kindness of others. Tragically, his fiancé passed away before they could get married. The funeral took all of Vernon’s money so he is out on the streets until he gets his next disability check.

At only $839 a month income it is nearly impossible to secure stable housing.

Vernon’s story is not an easy one. But rarely is there a happy ending on the streets unless people just like you step up to help