January 17th: Youth Council to Debut Documentary on Homeless Youth in Lewiston‏

Lewiston, Maine - On January 17th, the Lewiston Youth Advisory Council will debut its 40-minute documentary on homeless youth in Lewiston, a project that evoked many emotions from youth council members.  "I never would have guessed that Kat was homeless," remarked visibly moved LYAC member Nairus Abdullahi when hearing of Kat Borghoff's challenging journey from childhood through her teen years--one of three featured stories within the documentary.  Abdullahi and other youth council members have since expressed that what they learned and heard should never be forgotten.

The free-to-attend documentary debut will occur at 6:30 p.m. at The Downstage at LA Arts, 5 Canal Street Alley, Lewiston (below LA Arts), and members of the public & media are invited to attend.

At the suggestion of LYAC Chair Kon Maiwan, the youth council developed the film to enhance community awareness in regard to the approximately 200 homeless youth in Lewiston.  In addition to personal stories of
three youth who have been homeless, the documentary also shares common reasons why youth are homeless, such as years of physical and sexual abuse, strained relationships, addiction of a family member, and parental neglect (Source:  National Coalition for the Homeless) . Local resources are also highlighted, as well as youth council members sharing their perspective on youth homelessness, and what members of the community can do to help.  Bob Rowe, Executive Director of New Beginnings, and Jamie Caouette, Homeless Academic Liaison of the Lewiston High School STEP Program, also provide insight on their interaction with local homeless youth, with safety as the number one priority.

At the debut, a donation box will be on site should attendees wish to donate toiletries for local entities that assist homeless youth. Inquiries about the documentary may be directed to LYAC Co-Advisors Dottie Perham-Whittier and Maggie Chisholm at dottie@lewistonmaine.gov or mchisholm@lewistonmaine.gov, respectively.