We cannot ignore New York’s homeless youth
Garden City, LI: The recent report released by the nonprofit Advocates for Children of New York found that more than 146,000 New York City students experienced homelessness during the school year 2023-2024, a record which reflects a worrying trend. For the ninth year in a row, more than 100,000 children and young people have found themselves struggling with the instability and uncertainty of homelessness.
Homeless youth are not just a statistic. They are resilient individuals who face unimaginable challenges, often without the safety net that many of us take for granted. At SCO Family of Services, we see the faces behind the numbers every day. These are young people with dreams, talents and untapped potential, but they face enormous obstacles to success. In Brooklyn and Queens, SCO’s Independence Inns provide a safe haven for youth ages 16 to 20 who are homeless or have run away from home, with some of our programs dedicated to young mothers and their families. children. At our Brooklyn Youth Center, we provide crucial services to young people ages 15-25, providing them with a safe space, meals, clothing, and crisis support.
Homeless youth face an uphill battle, with chronic truancy and high dropout rates often standing in the way of their futures. According to Advocates for Children, demand for shelter beds far exceeds supply. Social service organizations like SCO provide more than temporary relief; we offer long-term solutions. Our programs provide life skills training, mentoring and academic support to help youth break the cycle of homelessness. By supporting SCO and organizations like ours, you can help create a world where every young person has hope, a safe place to live, and the resources to thrive. Suzette Gordon, President and CEO, SCO Family of Services
Eat well
Brooklyn: Voice actor Larry Penner is right, the guests are good. We were going to a fancy restaurant before a Broadway play. We often arrived late to the room. The Westway Diner is fast and the food is good. It has regular bathrooms. You can walk to most theaters or take a taxi on Ninth Avenue. Marlene and John Blank
Just an observation
Manhattan: To the voice Mariann Tepedino, who responded to my letter regarding my participation in “The Outsiders” and “The Book of Mormon” and my surprise at the almost total absence of non-Caucasians attending each show: You talk about helping people. How can you associate having seen two Broadway shows with being helpful and kind? I give money to beggars when I see them. When I feel reluctant, I push myself with that old adage: “There but for the grace of God go I.” » Second, I did not attempt to count non-white audience members. This just caught my attention. If one went to the theater or other events in New York that draw large crowds and noticed that there were almost no non-whites there, wouldn’t one be surprised? Another Voicer proposed the theory that the answer is money. Yes, very few places are available for less than $100. Charles Adrian O’Connor
Suspicious
Oriental, NC: I completely agree with spokesperson Michael Rosenkrantz: For Donald Trump to win the popular vote, all battleground states, the House and Senate certainly smell like a rigged election! I hope people are interested in Elon Musk and his Starlink! God help the United States for the next four years! Beth Larsen
Profile in corruption
Bronx: Trump said to drink bleach when COVID hit. He filed for bankruptcy six times. Its casinos went bankrupt. His football team collapsed. His airline went bankrupt. His magazine, his steaks and his vodka failed. Trump University went bankrupt because of fraud. This man faces 34 charges. And with Project 2025, it removes many benefits. Marlene Francis
Undue honor
Kearny, New Jersey: Trump was named Time Magazine’s 2016 “Person of the Year.” What a farce! Joseph F. Catrambone
Thieves’ Cabinet
Brooklyn: Is Mayor Adams looking for a place in Trump’s presidential cabinet? Best case scenario: They both go to prison and share the same cell. Christina C. Anderson
Not the same
Rochdale Village: Voiceman Martin Sandok seriously compared President Biden’s hypothetical choice of AOC to Orange Guy Matt Gaetz’s choice for attorney general? An accused sex trafficker, an admitted drug user having sexual all-nighters and having sex with an underage teenage girl, then waiting until she turned 18? And pay for sex? The candidate for the AG, nothing less?! He is in no way comparable to the congresswoman – a beautiful young woman who leads an exemplary life, about to begin her fourth term and who works hard for her constituents and for all of us! Saul Rothenberg
Immigration law
Hammonton, NJ: I completely agree with voicewoman Andrea Allen when she writes that she wishes officials and presenters would stop saying that no one is above the law. It’s absurd. Millions of illegal aliens flout our laws while collecting free housing and food. William Cook
Try it
Hartsdale, New York: I recently heard that new “border czar” Tom Homan is threatening anyone who opposes his efforts to uproot legal immigrants and deport them. He also revealed that one way to deport immigrants without separating families was to deport the entire family. As a New Yorker, I tell him this: Go ahead, punk. Norman E. Gaines Jr.
Bigotry Statue
Rome, Italy: Keep your boring, your sordid poor / Your clustered crowds of raging rapists / Yearn for a piece of our pie / The dark, filthy trash of your sordid shore / Send me your white, your rich and rejoice while / I shine my spotlight and slam the golden door. Jeff Davidson
Make sense
Richmond Hill: I own a two-family home. Only two people live in the house. Only one tenant on the second floor and one person, myself, on the first floor. I’m sure you can see that we don’t have a lot of trash to throw away. Should I buy four 35 gallon bins at $47.26 each, one for “regular” waste, one for bottles/cans and hard plastic, one for paper and cardboard, and one for “organic” waste ? Can anyone tell me? I am an 81 year old person. Now I have to go out in the dark after 8 p.m., in the cold of winter and in the heat of summer. Additionally, what is considered a regular trash can? If cans, bottles and hard plastic are separated, if paper and cardboard are separated, and if “organic” waste is separated, then what is left of regular waste? Please, does anyone have any answers for me? Joseph Napoleon
Terrible host
Jacksonville, Fla.: Does anyone join me in saying that Ryan Seacrest isn’t up to the job as the new host of “Wheel of Fortune”? It’s just horrible. Boring, overzealous and overrehearsed! While legendary decades-old host Pat Sajak always held small cue cards with contestant names and answers to puzzles, Seacrest is too important to hold cue cards! Instead, he pretends to know the candidates’ names from memory, when in fact there is a small monitor out of camera view that skinny Ryan is reading while he introduces them! Hey Ry-Ry, you’re not messing with anyone! And another thing: it’s sickening how he is always attracted to handsome men, finding excuses to hold their necks and even sometimes hug them! Damn, I wonder why. “Wheel of Fortune” made a huge mistake in choosing this guy! It sullies the legacy of the game show that has lasted for decades! Carl JC Hafner
Be proud
Brooklyn: TV science host and aerospace engineer Emily Calandrelli recently became the 100th woman in space. While experiencing this great moment, she became very emotional, as shown in her video. Almost immediately, thousands of internet haters posted offensive comments targeting her, even including her appearance. Never apologize or feel weird about your reaction. The trait you received from your father regarding life experience is something you will keep forever. Trust me, there are a lot of deformed assholes in their mothers’ basements eating cupcakes, glued to their devices. By the way, you are a bright and lovely young lady. Louie Scarcella
