Who are the best readers ever? You guys! In particular all the amazing people over on Patreon who raised $965 to help support The Night Ministry. Why? Let’s talk about that a second. Studies vary, but 20-40% of homeless youth identify as LGBT. In one survey, nearly 70% of those youth cited rejection from their family as the reason they ended up on the street. Gay rights have made tremendous strides in recent years, but that doesn’t mean blanket acceptance. Homeless LGBT youth are also at a significantly higher risk to be victims of sexual abuse and physical violence. They are also twice as likely to commit suicide.
What does any of this have to do with me or my books? I’ve been writing a new story along with my Patreon supporters called Something Like Chance. Noah Westwood is the main character. He’s a young homeless guy trying to find a way out of his situation. Writing always involves a lot of research. That combined with moving to Chicago has made homelessness a part of my daily existence. Putting myself in Noah’s shoes while writing about him made me especially eager to help in some way, and I knew my Patreon supporters would be happy to contribute. The charity we’ve chosen to support is The Night Ministry, primarily because they help fund The Crib, one of the few resources (if not the only) in Chicago that specializes in helping LGBT homeless youth. You can read about them here in this Chicago Tribune article, or visit them at their web site. Our charity drive might be over, but you can still donate to them directly. Please consider doing so. Chances are that you have an extra few bucks in your pocket, and if you watch the video on the Chicago Tribune site, you’ll see that The Crib isn’t rolling in money from supporters. They need all the help they can get and every little bit helps.
Proof of the donation made can be found here. Andreas insisted on rounding it up to an even $1000. I’m sure most of you guys trust me, but sadly there are people who use good causes as a tool to rob people of their hard earned money. I’m a big believer in full transparency when it comes to charity work, another reason that I selected The Night Ministry, since they’ve proven themselves to be reputable. Many thanks to my Patreon supporters. You guys are wonderful!
