CHICAGOWindy City Times is hosting a summit May 2-5 on LGBTQ youth in the Chicago region, to assess the current issues impacting homeless youth, and new solutions to these complex issues. Kim Hunt, executive director of Affinity Community Services, is the summit's director.
The title of the summit is "Owning Our Lives: Dream It. Speak It. Do It!!" The website for registration, donations and full information is chicagosummit.lgbthomelessness.com .
Each of the summit's three days will have a different area of focus:
Friday, May 2, 2-8 p.m.
Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital
Open to people 25 and under who have been impacted by homelessness.
Registration: FREE
Sat., May 3, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
University of Illinois at Chicago, Behavioral Sciences Bldg, 1007 W. Harrison St.
Open to youth, nonprofits, government agencies, politicians, foundations, activists, service providers, academic researchers and individuals working on these issues.
Registration: $45 adults, youth free
Mon., May 5, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Museum of Broadcast Communications, 360 N. State St.
Report to government agencies, politicians, foundations ( private, public and corporate foundations encouraged to attend ), academics, and donors.
Registration: FREE
The first two days of the summit will be broken down into general plenary sessions and facilitated workshops focused on areas including: Housing issues ( shelters, DCFS, HUD, etc. ), public policy ( city, county, state, federal ), legal issues ( emancipation, public safety ), education and job training, healthcare access, mental health and substance abuse.
While attendance at the summit is focused on youth, non-profits, service providers, government and foundations, the summit does need help from the general public.
The summit has several goals, including:
Looking at the complex causes of homelessness
Shining a light on existing work being done
Reporting on the gaps and needs
Listing short-term and long-term strategies
Creating action steps
Information and links to registration and donation pages here:
chicagosummit.lgbthomelessness.com or email: youthsummit@affinity95.org .