North Texas nonprofit that gives homeless teens a place to live says need is greater than ever
NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — A North Texas nonprofit that gives homeless teenagers a safe place to live says the need is greater than ever.
Journey to Dream runs Kyle's Place, a transitional living campus in Denton County for teens ages 14 to 19 years old.
"We'd like for there not to even be a need for us to be here, but because we're one of the only ones in the area that serve that age group, we stay full," said Nesa Grider, the CEO of Journey to Dream.
The 17-bed facility opened in 2017 and hopes to expand in the future.
"The teens that we get are not offending teens," Grider said. "They are here because of something that has occurred to them. Most of them are very high trauma teens. It could be because of abuse, trafficking—anything that might have happened to them. Some come from the CPS system. Some just show up on our doorstep. It just really depends, but they come from all across North Texas."
Grider says there are thousands of homeless teens in the metroplex. They may be couch surfing, living in motels or shelters, or sleeping in cars or abandoned buildings.
"They're not on the street corners, and they're not holding signs, and so it's hard," Grider said. "They're kind of this invisible population."
Grider has seen the need grow dramatically since the pandemic. Kyle's Place gives them stability and a sense of normalcy.
"A warm bed, meals and snacks, and the ability to go to high school in decent, clean clothes," said Grider. "To be able to participate in extracurricular activities."
Alexandra Thiede, now 20 years old, says what Kyle's Place gave her is priceless.
"A second chance and finding my family," she said. "A second chance at actually becoming somebody."
When she was 14, Thiede was stuck in a difficult foster home.
"It just wasn't a good fit, so I ended up having to pack up and go, and I found myself at Kyle's Place," Thiede said.
After staying there for a few years, Thiede went to live with a family that eventually adopted her.
"I love the family that I have now," she said. "They're just amazing to me. They're just more than I could ask for."
Thiede graduated from Lewisville High School and is now taking classes at North Central Texas College.
The outcome is different for every teen who goes through Kyle's Place, but Grider's goal is always the same.
"For them to understand what it's like to be loved unconditionally," Grider said.
You can learn more about Kyle's Place here.
