Imagine waking up to a crisp, clear, blue sky every morning, with the sounds of the busy city around you. You remove your tattered rag of a blanket and ask yourself, “Am I going to eat today?” as your stomach growls fiercely with desperation. As you search for food, the cold weather overtakes you, chilling you to the bone.

Every month, 57% of homeless teens spend at least one day without any food. Even though some youth can enter foster homes, many are forced to leave after the age of 18, the age limit for foster homes. Being either homeless or impoverished exposes young people to many terrible things including assault, illness, and even suicide. In fact, annually, 5,000 homeless young people die from the aforementioned atrocities. This issue is not helped by the fact that many parents end up driving their own children out due to personal conflicts.

Being impoverished also can create countless mental health problems like anxiety, PTSD, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse, and depression.

That’s why Threads of Care, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing necessities year round to teens in need from teens who want to give, was created. Because many impoverished teens need clothing to get through bitter, cold winters, and scorching hot summers, they often end up having to spend the little money that they make on clothing. At Threads of Care, our goal is to make sure that these youth don’t need to spend extra money on clothes. Every dollar not spent on a coat, pair of shoes, etc., is another dollar that can be used for food, or something else important.

If you’d like to get involved, please check out our Get Involved page! Help us make a difference in the lives of other youth. Let’s get Teen’s Helping Teens, One Thread at a Time.