Throughout November, organizations and individuals across the nation came together to shine a light on the experiences of runaway and homeless youth by participating in National Runaway Prevention Month (NRPM) events. A huge thank you to those who participated and hosted events, your support provides critical awareness to issues that impact 4.2 million youth each year yet often remain invisible.

Below are some highlights from NRPM events. There are so many more events that individuals and organizations participated in and you can find them by going on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and searching #NRPM2019.

Education Week

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November is National Runaway Prevention Month #NRPM. 4.2 million people aged 13-25, endure some form of homelessness every year. Many youth experience homelessness or runaway come from broken homes and broken systems among other factors. More often than not they experience abuse: physically abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual violence, we see this more commonly in youth of color and those who identify with as LGBTQ+, these same groups are susceptible to child sex trafficking. Homelessness is the largest risk factor for CSEC and sex trafficking of minors.

A post shared by GEMSGIRLS (@gemsgirls) on Nov 6, 2019 at 10:22am PST

Twitter Chat

A2: One common stereotype — youth homelessness is only an urban problem. Our latest Issue Brief addresses the truth about RHY in rural areas: https://t.co/tlxviG9RmT #NRPMChat https://t.co/GAtZx48XsT

— Nat’l. Clearinghouse on Homeless Youth & Families (@NCHYFgov) November 5, 2019

Wear Green Day

Another way to show your support!
Wear 💚 GREEN 💚 Day with @1800RUNAWAY! Thank you Long Beach and Rancho Dominguez #CrittentonStaff for participating 😍 #NRPM2019 #EmpowerYouth #ANightForYouth #EndYouthHomelessness pic.twitter.com/1cU0UMUVud

— Crittenton Services (@CrittentonSoCal) November 12, 2019

Light the Night

From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU to everyone who walked and rallied to #endyouthhomessless! @YMCASanDiego #ymcayfs is proud to give youth the resources and relationships necessary for stability #nrpm2019 pic.twitter.com/1taRF0BlnN

— Krysta Esquivel, MSW (@EsquivelKrysta) November 21, 2019

Green Light Project

Proclamation

While NRPM is wrapping up, we encourage everyone to keep this conversation going throughout the year. It’s important to continue to shine a light on these issues and highlight all the important resources that are available for youth, as these issues impact millions of youth year round.  By providing support and continuing to work together we can prevent and end youth homelessness.  If you are not an NRPM partner, or want important NRPM updates, please reach out to Rachel Reynolds, Outreach and Prevention Specialist at rreynolds@1800RUNAWAY.org.