CLEARLAKE, Calif. – The Clearlake City Council designated June as Homeless Youth Awareness Month in the city.
The proclamation was read into record by Vice Mayor Gina Fortino Dickson during Thursday’s regular meeting.
Fortino Dickson said the city is strongly committed to seeking ways to assist homeless youth by implementing innovative programs and systems and by putting “children first.”
The proclamation recognizes the city, the county of Lake, Lake County Office of Education, Lake Family Resource Center and Lake Community PRIDE Foundation for providing critical services to children and families, ensuring children have the opportunity to reach their full potential as productive adults and members of the community.
According to the 2010 Census, the proclamation states, there are approximately 3,750 youth age 15 to 19 in Lake County.
The 2012-13 California Annual Homeless Data Collection shows 185 (20-percent) of these youth were declared homeless and were in need of some form of assistance.
“Whereas, too many children and youth in the City of Clearlake are forced to flee from unsafe homes due to family violence, drug-use, or other dysfunctions only to become vulnerable to making unwise choices that expose them to further exploitation, drug-use and other risks,” Fortino Dickson read.
The proclamation concluded that increasing public awareness of the importance of this issue through education, media attention and outreach will reinforce the need for all parents to take responsibility for the financial, emotional and physical support of their children.
Email Denise Rockenstein at
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