Junior Kylie Becker remembers when she couldn’t attend school because she was considered ‘homeless’ by the Ventura Unified School District.

“In seventh grade I was moving back and forth between here and Washington because of something with my dad’s job and something with housing and I ended up living in a Motel 6 because it’s so hard to find housing here,” Becker said.

According to Ventura Unified School District, any persons living in inadequate housing including motels, shelters, vehicles, or trailers are considered homeless.

By these standards, there are 451 children who are homeless in VUSD alone.

This is why Foothill’s Teen Voice is taking part in programs such as the “Homeless Essential Needs Project” to raise money, awareness, and everyday necessities for the homeless families of Ventura.

Teen Voice has been organizing this project for the past five years, alternating with Teens for Jeans, in order to make a difference in the Ventura community.

“We take whatever we get and take them to the homeless shelters so that when the winter’s over and the homeless shelters close, they have stuff to carry with them,” Teen Voice President senior Jenny Castillo said.

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“We want to support [the] homeless in any way and give them essential needs for the outdoor environment,” Youth Programs Supervisor of Ventura Mario Robinson said. “Every year we go into projects with high expectations and due to so many generous people in our community we always reach our goal.”

Although these programs are able to directly help the homeless families, the effects of homelessness on teens can never be erased.

“You see sides of people that you wouldn’t have otherwise […] Suddenly, everyone gets really selfish because you’re in survival mode and it’s hard to do your schoolwork,” Becker said. “It makes kids depressed, that’s the big problem; it pushes them into drug problems and gang problems and it just destroys your life.”

That’s why these programs such as the ‘Homeless Essentials Project’ are made available to offer support and necessities.

“I just feel like a better person,” Castillo said. “I might be having a hard day but when we do these types of things I feel like I’m doing something to help out.”

Robinson agrees and believes the project is highly worthwhile.

“When [high school students] see the smiles and [hear] the ‘thank you’ it makes them feel like what they’re doing is making a difference,” she said.

Teen Voice is collecting new or used head wear, scarves, gloves, combs, brushes, nail clippers, and socks in Foothill classrooms and at City Hall until March 7.