Miracle On The Streets

Summary:

A profile of life on the streets for homeless youth told through the experiences of 21-year-old Miracle Draven.

Website:

http://stories1st.org/sound.php?s=240&a=10

Additional Credits and Funding:

Produced with funding by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and by Outright Radio.

Timely on:

June: Gay Pride Month, Black History Month

Tones:

Emotional, Engaging, This American Life-esque

Language:

English

Description:

Meet Miracle Draven, a 21-year-old with spirit whose has survived four years of living on the streets and crystal meth addiction to find family and love in Portland, OR. A longer documentary aired on Outright Radio Spring 2003 and was a recent winner of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalism Award and the NFCB Silver Award. This shorter version was produced for Stories1st.org: Growing Up, Growing Strong.

At any given time, about a thousand kids are homeless and living on the streets in downtown Portland. The Multnomah County Office of School and Community Partnerships says the number of homeless youth in the city is decreasing due to a network of services that work together to get kids off the street. Homeless youth are 13-21 years old and about 30 percent are estimated to be gay, lesbian, bi or transgendered. In Portland the estimates run around 30 percent. The reasons kids take to the streets usually involve instability in the family home, abuse or problems with drugs or alcohol. For Miracle Draven, a young homeless woman in Portland, it was all of the above and more.

Warning: There is strong content detailing drug addiction and prostitution. There is NO GRAPHIC LANGUAGE.

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