Lorenzo

Lorenzo left home at 11 and did not have a permanent place to call home for more than two decades. The first thing you figure out, Lorenzo shared, is how to keep out of the elements. If you are lucky, he continued, that's the worst thing you have to worry about -- but we know that many young runaways face other serious threats such as exploitation or chronic hunger. 

In Minnesota today, 1,286 youth ages 12 -21 are homeless each night, as are 3,250 children with their parents. Homelessness is cyclical: LIke Lorenzo, almost one-half (45 percent) of all homeless adults (18+) experienced homelessness before they were 21, and one-quarter (26 percent) before they were 18. Preventing youth and family homelessness will pay off in the future by reducing the numbers of homeless adults.

It took Lorenzo 25 years of being homeless and battling addiction to find a safe, permanent home at American House, a 69-unit building in the Lowertown area of St. Paul. American House also offers chemical dependency and mental health services by professional staff as well as the comforts of a private apartment with the companionship of a community of people who understand Lorenzo's story because they've been there too. He is grateful for the chance to build his life again, and he and Plymouth Church Neighborhood Foundation couldn't do it without your help.