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Samantha Hayes ReportingIt's a cold night and the demand for shelter is high, not only for homeless adults on the streets, but for a surprising number of young people.
The Volunteers of America Youth Services center estimates there are 500 homeless youth in Salt Lake City, ages 15-22. An outreach group goes out every night looking for young people who need help.
From a distance the group outside the Salt Lake City library looks like a typical bunch of high schoolers milling around; but they are not in school, they are not going home, and the two people out looking for them are not parents.
Simon Metzner, Volunteers of America: "Generally we just try to describe our services, we help children between 15-22 with hygiene products and food."
And a place to sleep for the night if they need it. Nicole is one of hundreds of homeless youth in Salt Lake City. She will "couch surf" tonight; that's slang for hanging out and sleeping at someone else's place.
Nicole: "Just an apartment we found."
The Volunteers of America Program Director Teresa Stocks is looking for other kids who may be sleeping out in the freezing cold.
Teresa Stocks: "Driving away and going to my nice warm home and knowing they are going to sleep out on the street. It's really sad and the reason is they don't trust being down at the shelter and they'd rather stay outside and be cold."
Twenty-year old Natalie Hodnett does seek shelter for herself and her baby.
Natalie Hodnett, Homeless: "It's not hard, its just miserable. You have to deal with people stealing your food."
Volunteers of America works closely local shelters where the need for services for adults and youth has remained high.
Matt Minkevitch, Executive Director Road Home: "We are certainly concerned our numbers are consistent with last year, not good because last year we had a high demand for shelter services."
Road Home expects to be housing more then 800 people a night in the peak winter season.
