HOUSTON (SEPTEMBER 8, 2015) — The Association for Family and Community Integrity (AFCI) has announced the formation of a separate organization, Homeless Gay Kids – Houston (HGK-H). The mission of the new group is to provide direct support, including basic survival needs and life skills, to the hundreds of homeless LGBT teens in Houston.
“The formation of HGK-H allows AFCI to focus more on our core mission of family education, so that gay kids don’t become homeless in the first place,” says Tom Chappell, founder and treasurer of AFCI. “AFCI will continue educating both parents and kids, while HGK-H will focus on supplying the needs of those kids who are already on the streets.”
“The board of HGK-H very much appreciates being able to leverage the experience and community involvement of AFCI so we have been able to hit the ground running,” notes Jeff Hoffman, chair of HGK-H’s founding board.
“The kids’ needs are great and growing, and we look forward to working efficiently to meet them.”
One in every four homeless kids is gay, according to the 2013 National School Climate Survey. Rejected by their parents and bullied at school,
these young people find themselves alone at the very time they need parental guidance the most.
LGBT youth are 4-6 times as likely to attempt suicide as other teens. On the streets, they are likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, engage in criminal activity or become victims of crime, feel forced to participate in “survival sex” and even eventually end up in youth detention centers.
Addressing this situation directly, the mission of HGK-H is to provide a dependable and safe place, with resources and support, for homeless gay kids. HGK-H will be announcing its first project in the next few weeks. It will be totally privately fund, with no government assistance.
Sara Fernandez, president of AFCI, says it will continue to focus on its historic function. AFCI is now able to turn its full attention to Programs and Advocacy; working to prevent rejection based on sexual orientation or gender identity. We will continue to provide our class ‘What if your child is gay?’ through Leisure Learning and are developing an interactive online class.”
www.glbthomeless.org (for educational materials ) or
www.HomelessGayKidsHouston.org (to volunteer or make a donation to
HGK-H).