Orlando, What happened to the magic? | Teen Ink

Orlando, What happened to the magic?

November 5, 2009
By Anonymous

Orlando is one of the most popular tourist attractions in
the world, housing massive attractions from 'Walt Disney World' to the the Universal parks. An estimated two million Britons fly to o-town
every year to enjoy everything our city has to offer.

But isn't it funny the facts they forget to print in the brochures!
Like the fact that Orlando Fl was ranked the sixth most dangerous
city in the United States by Forbes.com. And now according to a new
study we are also the third-meanest city in America when it comes to
home it treats the homeless. That's according to the 'National Law Center on Homelessness and poverty' and the 'National Coalition for
the homeless'.

Now I in no way wrote this to bring awareness to the the "homeless"
most of you are thinking of, the old men on the side of the street
holding a homeless sign yet they have the money for that bottle
of whiskey and cigarettes. I'm speaking of the Hidden Homeless,
the families, the children and the teens lost between the city
streets.

Orlando has arrested volunteers who repeatedly feed groups of homeless at Lake Eola. Due to the fact in 2006 Orlando City Council passed a law that prohibited groups from sharing food with 25 or more people in downtown parks covered under the ordinance from doing so more than twice a year.

Most teens in this horrific predicament felt they had no choice
due to abuse, being bounced from one foster home to another,
or to some other family disfunction or a mental illness.
Now a lot of these teens are hidden homeless, they don't live
permanently on the streets instead they bounce from the houses
of friends until their welcome is worn out or share a motel room
until they run out of their last penny.

Across Florida in the 2008-2009 school year there were 41,286
homeless students according to the report from the 'Florida Department of Education'. That's a 20 percent jump from last year.
Brevard and Lake County had twice as many students waking up
in motel rooms, shelters, campgrounds, and other forms of temporary
housing. Lake County schools saw central florida's largest increase in homeless students.

The central Florida region served almost 10,000 homeless students
last year, more than 1,300 kids lived in shelters or were awaiting foster homes, while an additional 1,700 lived in motel rooms.
Almost 400 kids spent their nights in automobiles, campgrounds
or other public spaces, a majority of about 6,600 were "doubled up"
with other families as a last resort before asking local agencies for help.

Now graduating High School is tough enough in today's world, I personally know that, but now add those feeling with those of not knowing where your going to sleep that night? and if you have a motel, if your going to have the money to pay it? Still trying to be safe.
Not to mention facing the embarrassment they would feel if any of their friends found out they had no address.

Now I have a question? When we're driving in O-town most of the roads here you run into have an area where their building a new merging ramp, or expanding the roads. Yes, I'm aware this gives citizens jobs but if you do the numbers it really isn't helping a great number at all...

Imagine the money the city is spending on all the repairs and installments... I wander how else they could help our city?

Think about it!



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