Bellefaire Jewish Childrens Bureau

Within 72 hours of being on the street, a youth is solicited for
sex:  a tragic and all-too-true statistic that is foremost in the minds of Bellefaire JCB's Missing and Homeless Youth Program staff.  Our professionals are dedicated to bringing youth on the streets to safety and out of the reach of traffickers, pimps, drug dealers, and those who wish to do them harm.  Through the work of these exceptional people, we have become recognized as area leaders and valued by law enforcement for the role we play in the homeless youth community. 

Until recently, homeless youth went largely unnoticed, passed by on the street without a glance.  We at Bellefaire
wondered how the community could help to solve the youth homelessness epidemic if they’re not aware of its existence. 
As a result, we spearheaded, in collaboration with Doner Advertising, an awareness campaign designed to catch the attention of the public and invite the community to “Take A Closer Look at Youth Homelessness.”  The campaign gained local, national, and international attention as individuals across our region were confronted with the messages displayed by dozens of Somebodies placed in areas well-known and used by local homeless youth – faceless mannequins wearing sweatshirts bearing a common plight of homeless youth.  These mannequins were accompanied by a card or sign offering more information and inviting people to share the information learned via social media and spread the word.

We are so grateful to this campaign for the awareness that it has raised, but we know that there is so much work left to be done to get children and youth in from the streets and keep them out of the grasp of traffickers and those who wish to do them harm or exploit them for their own gain.  The support given by you, the community, is the most valuable resource we receive – by donating to provide assistance to our day-to-day programming you set the stage for a brighter future for youth in our community and throughout the nation.  Our deepest gratitude goes out to you for your support of this cause.