The following article is being reposted as a special to United Front’s Homelessness Community thanks to Lavender Magazine.  Learn more about United Way Arise Project, an active giving community focused on LGBT issues and reducing youth homelessness in our community.

By Justin Jones, originally posted  December 15, 2011
Photographer: Mike Hnida

This story is true. Sincere thanks to Stephan Parker for his courage in sharing it.

The boy sits on a park bench one night, and he stares. He stares at homes, some with their lights on; others quieted for the night. He stares at the neighborhood playground. And he stares at the sky. It will rain soon.

The boy takes a breath, stands, and moves reluctantly through unkempt grass toward the jungle gym. He climbs into the mouth of a tube slide and pushes himself into the middle. He positions himself as comfortably as he can, and again he stares. He stares at dirty plastic, backlit by moonlight. And he cries.

The boy is Stephan Joseph Parker. He is 18 years old. He is homeless. He’s been without a house to live in for six months, but he doesn’t remember when he ever felt safe calling some place home.

Rain starts to drizzle on Stephan’s orange tube slide. The rain echoes inside. Everything echoes inside. So many families surround him–including his own. So many beds. So many goodnight kisses and “I Love Yous”. So many opportunities to wonder, “Why can’t that be me?”.

Stephan closes his eyes, and he remembers…

There are jumbo blocks and other kids. Cousins. Stephan wants them to stop taking his blocks, but they won’t. He hides with his toys under the kitchen table. This is his first memory.

There is Grandpa, the protector. Stephan’s mother and stepfather are mentally ill; his grandmother and grandfather raise Stephan until he is 7 years old, when Grandpa dies, and things begin to change.

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