By Alli Marti
Third Culture Kids (TCK) know how to quickly adapt to new environments in order to survive; they also know the isolation that comes with displacement and quick adaptation. That isn’t all bad.
Homeless millennials
There is another global group that could benefit from these specific TCK life circumstances: homeless millennials. TCKs can make a significant impact on these children and young adults because of their relatable backgrounds.
By volunteering for an organization that helps to get homeless youths education and a place to stay, TCKs feeling the blues can gain the sense of fulfillment and belonging they need through helping another person in their community.
According to the Homeless World Cup; across the globe there are about 100 million people living in homelessness. Some homelessness is due to natural disasters, low education levels or even the high cost of education.
Millennials, or Generation Y, are a global group of individuals born around 1980 to early 2000s (depending on the country you take your stats from). Studies from Newsweek, Fusion, Huffington Post and more have found an increase of homelessness in this population.
Polarizing homelessness
Millennials have polarized homelessness; researchers have found that some of the millennials have chosen homelessness as a “nomadic lifestyle,” although most homelessness is not chosen.
Children who grew up in low-income families, those whose mothers were physically abused or mentally ill, are forced into homelessness and they grow up in unstable shelters during their developmental years.
As a TCK, you understand being forced to adapt to your surroundings in order to survive; you understand how these life events shape individuals. By helping to mentor homeless youths in your area, you will create connections within your community as well as gain fulfilment by helping someone else from feeling the isolation you may have gone through.
Helping the homeless
In the United States, Denver, Colo. has a large population of homeless millennials. Organizations such as Dry Bones are one of many determined to help this group of people change their current situations.
Find an organization near you to plug into and help someone who is going through similar life-changing experiences; it will help you find fulfillment in your own story.
Alli Marti is a college graduate who is curious to understand the world through the different cultural lenses that make up each place.
