There is a new installation in Harvard Square that is hard to miss and drawing attention to the plight of the young and homeless in Massachusetts. Part of the Invisible Faces Project by photographer Anthony Pira, it shows the real faces of those without a place to call home and presents the public with the reasons why.
These are the reasons why many young people choose to flee home, a safety haven that most of us take for granted. Young adults, age 18-24 are no longer part of the foster care system. Often, they leave due to abusive situations or they have been kicked out due to their sexual orientation. Sometimes, they cannot find jobs and their families can no longer financially support them.
It affects thousands. Many will take to the streets, without any income, doing whatever they can to survive and often turning to drugs and alcohol for temporary comfort. If you travel through Harvard Square you are likely to see some of them as they gather near the T Station in an area that they call "the pit."
The faces of homeless teens are often not what one would expect. Some look just like the suburban teens on shopping excursions or meeting friends at restaurants. This does not make their problems any less real.
The project is spreading out across the country and encompasses ten major cities from here to Chicago and Los Angeles, where these young people search for any place that can offer them safety, sleep, food and basic human needs.
One such place is Youth On Fire, in Harvard Square, which helps these young people find the help that they need when no one, not even their families, seem to care.
The installation is intended to both bring the situation to light and begin a dialogue. It also hopes to garner donations and volunteers. I can't help but look at the faces and see the potential or think how ill-equipped I would have been at their age to survive on my own. I'd encourage you to stop and take it in if you are in the area.
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