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The city of Merced’s Annual Walk for Violence, run by Gloria Aguirre, mother of Benito Aguirre Jr., a victim of gang violence in the county. Read More
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The Queer & Trans Youth Leadership Summit (QT Summit) is a 3-day youth leadership development opportunity for LGBTQIA+ youth ages fifteen to nineteen. The three days in early March are very busy with many activities to help youth meet new people, learn more about the Social Justice Movement Stories of LGBTQIA+ people, and have young voices lead gender and LGBTQIA+ issues in local and statewide campaigns. Read More
According to the Merced City and County Continuum of Care, the City of Merced homeless count dropped very slightly from 318 to 310 in 2018, though the number of displaced people in Merced County rose from 454 to 514. Your words from the sickness That’s been infecting your mind And swelling your feet Stuck in my head tonight As I drove out of the parking lot I saw you Clutching the rag That gave you some warmth We made eye contact And my empathy Signaled I needed to break the boundaries Broadcasting our society So I parked again And walked up to the front I gave you a blanket And watched The fear in your eyes Escape As the tears welled up Sanity hit through Only for second But then your words clouded And your ranting started to spew Bipolar and Schizophrenia You shouted out addresses Of loved ones Who left you Alone with your demons You scratched at your clothes Infested with dirt And clung to your body Soaked in heroin All drugs you thought could mask the relentless pain In your head You said They wanted to put you In an institution But even your unawareness Couldn’t give you the benefit For the cold Was blowing your feet And socks weren’t coming I only have These cheese sticks I bought in a hurry For my lunches I’m sure your empty stomach Would appreciate it As you were yelling It would give you some strength But cheese sticks Can’t fix the swirls in your head I wish I could pull out Those memories of the streets Instead People in your position Remind me of my luck That I have a home With a warm fresh coat And no fear of being struck I have no fright Of extreme poverty On a cold December night Outside of a Target parking lot I have no fright of bare feet and a decayed young mind Read More
community growing up in Merced homelessness mental health merced county homeless count substance abuseThe We'Ced Youth Media cohort weighs in on the migrant caravan from Central America trying to seek asylum in the United States.
immigration refugeesReporter Stephanie Gurtel shares a photo essay from her time at the 2018 Youth Power Summit in Davis and Sacramento, Calif.
california california youth community davis education Free Our Dreams policy sacramento spotlight state capitol youth advocacy youth power summit youth voices