Category "Newsletter"

Starting the Conversation on Teen Homelessness Awareness with Teen Health Connection

Often, when we think of homelessness, we picture someone living on the streets or in a shelter with other unhoused individuals. However, for teens and adolescents, housing insecurity can look different.

This month, our health education topic is Teen Homelessness Awareness and Prevention, and we want to help you recognize the signs if you encounter a young person who may be experiencing housing insecurity. According to our community partner Families Forward, approximately 45,000 children are experiencing poverty right here in Charlotte. In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing and Homelessness dashboard, the article on The Rising Challenge of Student Homelessness states that during the 2024-2025 school year, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) identified a total of 5,680 students experiencing homeless, an 18% increase from the 4,815 students identified during the 2023–2024 school year.

This increase isn’t just a statistic; it reflects the rising housing instability impacting families with minor children across our community. Research shows that poverty is a major contributor to youth homelessness, which means there is a high probability that someone in your sphere of influence may be at risk of not having consistent shelter. Many young people experiencing homelessness aren’t on the streets — they’re moving from one friend’s or relative’s home to another, unsure where they’ll sleep next. For some, age restrictions prevent them from staying in shelters with their parents or guardians. For others, family conflict or lack of support leaves them without a stable place to call home.

A Closer Look at Who’s Affected

Certain groups face even greater barriers. LGBTQ+ teens often experience rejection and have fewer safe spaces to turn to, while teens with children and youth aging out of foster care are at particularly high risk. At that age, the stigma surrounding homelessness can make it hard for teens to ask for help, but here’s what you need to know. This issue is closer than we think and the degrees of separation between stability and homelessness have never been smaller.

A Local Perspective

Given Charlotte’s record as 38^th nationwide for economic mobility and knowing that access to affordable housing is a major lever in this process, homelessness can trap multiple generations in financial insecurity if not addressed. Poverty isn’t new in our community — and that’s part of the challenge. Without collective awareness and action, the problem persists.

To help raise awareness about this growing problem, Mecklenburg County has launched a 100-Day Challenge to Prevent Youth Homelessness. Visit the website to learn more.  

Here at Teen Health Connection, we work holistically to prepare teens for life’s challenges and connect them to essential community partners such as Charlotte Family Housing and Families Forward, both of which are saving families from homelessness every day. This November, we encourage parents, caregivers, and community members to recognize the signs, build empathy, and share this message. This newsletter is filled with information and suggestions on how you can help make a difference.

Together, we can raise awareness and help more teens find safety, stability, and hope.

Resources for Teens & Families

• Teen Health Connection Triage Team: Connects families to community-based services and resources, as well as resources available directly through Teen Health Connection.
  TeenHealthConnection@TeenHealthConnection.org or call (704) 381-8336.

• Charlotte Family Housing: Provides housing and support for working families experiencing homelessness.
  charlottefamilyhousing.org
• Families Forward Charlotte: Helps families overcome poverty through mentoring, resources, and connection.
  familiesforwardcharlotte.org
• The Relatives – On Ramp Resource Center: Offers a drop-in resource center for any young adult 16-24 years old who may need help making the successful evolution from youth to being an independent adult. Helps teens find employment and education, and housing opportunities. therelatives.org/our-programs/on-ramp-resource-center/
• National Runaway Safeline: 1-800-RUNAWAY – 24/7 confidential support for youth and families in crisis.

Remember, help is just a phone call or email away. Contact a member of our team at: TeenHealthConnection@TeenHealthConnection.org or call (704) 381-8336.

Teen Health Connection has placed billboards and electronic signs like the one above throughout Mecklenburg County highlighting our behavioral health services.

MESSAGE FROM FOUNDATION FOR THE CAROLINAS INSTITUTE FOR PHILANTHROPIC LEADERSHIP:

Michael Marsicano Award for Philanthropic Leadership recipient: Libby Safrit

On October 14, 2025, IPL Awards Luncheon was a powerful reminder of what inspired, mission-driven leadership looks like.

We were proud to recognize this year’s Michael Marsicano Award for Philanthropic Leadership recipients: Libby Safrit, Executive Director of Teen Health Connection, and Stephanie Stenglein, CFRE, Associate Executive Director of Arts+.  Both have transformed their organizations through integrity, innovation, and impact.

Our Board Chair, Jim Kelley, shared powerful reflections on IPL’s mission and growth. Through Leadership Gift School (275 leaders from 109 organizations) and Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy (171 participants from 92 nonprofits), IPL continues to strengthen the leadership pipeline across the Carolinas. Jim also celebrated our partnership with the United Way of Greater Charlotte, whose Unite Charlotte cohort helped make this fall’s ELP our largest yet.

We were equally inspired by Michael Marsicano, who expressed his pride in the award that bears his name and gratitude to those who’ve contributed to its growing endowment – now at $370,000 and moving toward a $500,000 goal. He reminded us that nonprofit leaders are, in many ways, an extension of our democracy, helping ensure every community thrives through service, generosity, and leadership.

Deep gratitude to our event hosts:  Amy Tribble and The Mint Museum Uptown, and Bonita Buford and the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, Jim Kelley and The Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, Shannon Williams and Armstrong McGuire & Associates, and Michelle Hamilton, CFRE at Carter, Advancing Philanthropy Worldwide, and to our table hosts whose partnership made this celebration possible.