On the surface, Daniel Schilling, 21, of Hillsboro seems a typical college student. He completed an associate degree at Jefferson College and is enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program at the University of Missouri in Columbia. He’s looking forward to a career in science and to getting married.
However, three years ago, Schilling couldn’t imagine what his future would hold. He was kicked out of his home during his senior year at Hillsboro High School and suddenly was homeless.
Schilling is among hundreds of Jefferson County teens served over the past nine years through the Homeless Youth Initiative, a Jefferson County nonprofit organization. During the past school year, the program served 163 teens who didn’t live with their parents but who were trying to stay in school.
The group of volunteers who coordinate and support the Homeless Youth Initiative became a circle of anonymous friends for Schilling – friends who helped him make the transition from homeless to hopeful.
“They were nice and kind and didn’t think twice before helping me, and they did it just because,” Schilling said. “They gave me hope, and hope means much more than the money or the items. It gives you inspiration and help and guidance. It means so much to hear someone say, ‘You’ve got this.’ It gives you hope that I can do this.”
Robin Scott, president of the Homeless Youth Initiative, said teens aged 15-18 are eligible to enter the program. The goal is to provide all the practical things needed to be able to stay in school.
“We provide food, clothing, personal-care items, school supplies,” Scott said. “We also have a scholarship fund through Jefferson College, and we follow kids when they attend there.”
Scott said the Jefferson County program is unique in Missouri because other similar programs are connected to individual schools.
“We are able to serve the whole county, every high school – from Fox to Grandview, from De Soto to Northwest,” she said. “As the word is getting out, more teens are raising their hands and asking for help.”
Schilling said he wasn’t prepared to ask for help when he found himself with nowhere to live.
A high school staff member connected Schilling with the Homeless Youth Initiative and helped him get through high school and enrolled at Jefferson College. He earned scholarships and moved into on-campus housing. “Without Jefferson College, I would have been left to be on the street,” Schilling said.
He enrolled in a two-year welding program. He knew he needed a skill that meant he would never be homeless again.
“I wanted something to make sure I could survive,” he said. “I needed to grow some skills.”
As he was growing his skills, he got help from the Homeless Youth Initiative with basic needs. “They helped me get food at the food pantry and with personal-care items,” Schilling said.
Scott said the Homeless Youth helped him pay for textbooks.
“I had some trouble with transportation, and they gave me a bike,” Schilling said. “When it was broken, someone was there to fix it.”
Scott said Schilling had an opportunity for a better-paying job but needed to get his driver’s license.
“We paid for the driver’s ed course,” Scott said. “He passed the exam after a couple of lessons and got his license. That meant he could get the better job.”
In 2019, Schilling completed his associate degree in welding. He also discovered a passion for learning.
He worked as a welder for a time, but currently is enrolled in college full-time pursuing a bachelor’s degree in physics and chemistry, with a minor in math and alternative energy.
“I’m really interested in alternative energy,” he said. “I’m taking calculus this summer, and now I’m living with my fiancee.”
As a homeless teen, Schilling said, it was tough to ask for help.
“You may think you don’t need help or it’s kind of dishonorable to ask for help,” he said. “But go ahead. It may make a difference in your life.”
Schilling said the help he received went well beyond meeting his basic needs.
“Despite all that was happening, there were people who wanted to see me succeed,” Schilling said. “They didn’t look at me as a nuisance or just someone who needed help.”
He said they saw potential for his future that he hadn’t yet recognized.
Donations welcome
Scott said community drives help the organization serve more teens.
“It’s just wonderful,” she said. “We’re just a pass-through. The more that is donated, the more we are able to give. All the donations and money go to the kids.”
Donations to the organization are tax deductible.
The Twin City Area Optimist Club held a drive-thru collection for personal-care items to benefit the Homeless Youth Initiative on June 25. Club president Phyllis Neff said the goal was to collect 1,000 items. In one hour, the club collected 5,000 items, plus $495 in gift cards and $478 in cash donations.
The club also held a successful food drive in May that benefitted local food pantries.
“We started these drives because we couldn’t do our normal projects,” Neff said. “We felt like we needed to do something. We focus on youth in the community. We knew a food drive would help youth, and now these personal-care products will help youth.”
Neff said the club is planning a third drive-thru donation drive next month to collect items for the St. Louis Crisis Nursery, which has an outreach center in Festus.
“These have been so successful and so much fun, we are thinking about doing this every summer,” she said. “We don’t know what next year will be like. But we know there will still be a need.”