Hello everyone! On behalf of the Passport 2 Adulthood Retreat Committee, I would like to thank you for taking the first step in registering your young adult for this retreat! The Passport 2 Adulthood is a three day, two-night event being hosted by CPAC in co-sponsorship with Rowan University departments, government agencies, and other nonprofit/grassroot organizations. Our goal is to bring a pool of currently or at risk of homeless youth together to give them inspiration and information to help them transition into productive and successful adults. We want to provoke discussion about the issue of youth entering adulthood unprepared, homeless, and no plan for their future! Our three overarching themes we are following for workshops for the retreat are, Housing Resources Available; Self-Empowerment, Mental Health and Trauma Awareness; Next Steps: Career, College, or Trade School.

Behind the face of every homeless young person is another heartbreaking story – a teenage boy abused by his alcoholic parent, a pregnant girl rejected by her guardian, or a teenager trying to escape gang membership or a life of forced prostitution. In case after case, the main cause of youth homelessness is physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse from parents or guardians. The facts about homelessness are staggering ... but acknowledging the depth of the problem is the first step in fixing it.

• 57% of homeless kids spend at least one day every month without food.

• In the United States, as many as 20,000 kids are forced into prostitution by human trafficking networks every year.

• According to a study of youth in shelters, nearly 50% reported intense conflict or physical harm by a family member as a major contributing factor to their homelessness.

• More than 25% of former foster children become homeless within two to four years of leaving the system.

• 50% of adolescents aging out of foster care and juvenile justice systems will be homeless within six months because they are unprepared to live independently and have limited education and no social support.

• Almost 40% of the homeless in the United States are under 18.

These statistics alone let us know that a retreat that will offer young adult’s workshops on career training and secondary education, mental health, empowering yourself, and available housing resources is much needed. We know that a retreat alone will not cure youth homelessness, but we hope that by bringing this to our county, we will begin the process of addressing this issue and helping our next generation be our best generation!