Vicki Sokolik refuses to be an Ostrich. Her son brought to her attention the crisis of unhoused youth — youth unhoused, not living with a parent/guardian, and not in foster care — in America, and she has been fighting to support this vulnerable population every since. Most active in Tampa Bay, Florida, Vicki is the founder and CEO of the nonprofit Starting Right, Now, which removes barriers for unaccompanied homeless youth to cultivate long-term well-being and self-sufficiency. She is also the author of the new book, “If You See Them: Young, Unhoused, and Alone in America.” Vicki Sokolik joined host Jay Ruderman to discuss the many ways unhoused youth fall through the cracks in our society, how her organization helps them, and also how to build trust with people who could use your help. Episode Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:10) Vicki’s origin story (02:40) What is “unhoused youth?” (06:40) What should a person do if they worry they see an unhoused youth? (08:19) How have conversations around unhoused youth changed in Vicki’s 20 years working with them? (11:02) How do people get the word out and help unhoused youth? (14:55) Vicki’s new book (16:48) How Vicki builds trust (20:10) What do students receive at Starting Right, Now? (22:58) How does Vicki balance advocacy and direct support? (27:53) Starting Right, Now alumni (29:10) Goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/…
Sharp Obsidian is a serious, character-driven literary fiction. The story gives adult readers a peek into the messy mind of a troubled teenage girl, Julia. Teenage readers will experience the soul-tearing angst of a desperate father, Steven. The story is told from the divergent viewpoints of Julia and Steven. He loses control of his fourteen-year-old daughter when she is taken over by dissolute drop outs. He panics and resorts to putting Julia into a wilderness recovery camp for troubled tee ...
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Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia met with psychologist Victoria and had an epiphany. Steven and Mary get a call from George Edelman reporting that Julia is ready to come home.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, all of the teen girls in the camp had a girls' party that was interrupted by the return of the teen boys and Travis. Julia developed a grudge on Travis and set him up for a fall.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia and teen Katie talked about escape from the teen camp.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Travis put Julia on a solo camp out and she was attacked by rabid coyotes. Mary and Steven worked at cleaning up Julia's bedroom at the country house and Steven struggled with a guilt about committing Julia to the teen camp.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia found an obsidian shard in the shape of a dagger.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, teen Jimmy gets Julia high on jail-house-gin. A thunder and lightening storm forces the teens to run for cover and they escape a lightening induced fire. They return to the trail completely soaked by the storm.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia met with psychologist Dr. David Miller again and complained about the way Steven and Mary treat her. Miller questioned her about her sex experience and Julia gets angry with Miller's insinuation. Breaking camp the next day, teen Kevin refused to participate. Kevin makes Julia promise to help him with a letter to his paren…
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In the last episode, Julia met therapist Dr. David Miller for the first time. Miller questions her about her plans for the future and her life goals. Steven letter to Julia.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia came to terms with her situation. Julia's sister, Bree, reminisced about growing up with Julia and wrote her a letter. Julia received several letters and teen Kevin wanted to read them. Julia promised to help Kevin write a letter.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Steven struggled with his desire for vengeance against the boys who took Julia away from her family and enlisted Jack's help with a confrontation at the boys' house.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Mary discovered Julia's diary and discussed the contents with Steven. Steven struggled with a guilt about crossing into Julia's bedroom without her ability to object. He blamed Julia's friend Darla for Julia's fall from grace. We experienced a flashback where Darla took Julia away from school to party with some post high school…
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In the last episode, teen Sam hunted a woodpecker for food. Counselor Mark gives Julia a piece of volcanic glass, obsidian, to use as a tool.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia woke up with her face in the dirt, teen Chastity introduced herself to Julia and told Julia her story. Julia and Katie had a fight. There was a flash forward jump to present day when twenty-something Julia discussed her camp experience from 10 years earlier with Steven.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia's sister, Bree, had a fight with Julia's school friend, Darla. Julia described her first day in the teen recovery camp and the new-bee got the business.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, in a flash forward, twenty-something Julia met with her father, Steven, about his several page draft description of family events that occurred 10 years earlier. At the Bend warehouse, Julia was angry about being committed to the teen recovery camp. Mary and Steven returned home from Bend, guilty about leaving their daughter wi…
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In the last episode, Julia's parents, Mary and Steven, coerced Julia into accompanying them to Bend, Oregon where she is surprised to find herself being committed to a teen recovery camp against her will.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, Julia's father, Steve, woke up in the middle of the night finding Julia's mother, Mary, in their living room. She's crying,, not knowing where Julia is and worried about her safety. The make a plan to take back control from the forces that have taken Julia over.Από τον Joseph Suste
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In the last episode, fourteen year old, Julia, came home after being gone for several days and had a fight with her mother, Mary. In a flash forward, Julia's father, Steven, finds a box of items left in his barn that reminded him of a family trauma 10 years earlier. He phones twenty-something, Julia, with a desire to discuss the box and the experie…
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Fourteen-year- old, Julia, returns home after being gone for several days. Her mother, Mary, confronts her about being gone and missing school. A fight ensues. In a 10 year flash forward, Julia's father, Steven, finds a box of Julia's belongings that she left after returning from a teen recovery camp when she was fourteen. Steven wants to discuss t…
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Coming Soon. Sharp Obsidian is a weekly audio drama by author Joseph Suste. A new twenty minute segment is published every Tuesday starting on May 21, 2024. Julia, a teenage ingénue is seduced by destructive forces and manipulated by friends who encourage her to rebel against her family. Her father, Steven, fearful of the direction his daughter is …
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Coming Soon, an audio drama of a novel by Joseph Suste in twenty episodes starting on Tuesday May 21, 2024 with a new episode every Tuesday thereafter.Από τον Joseph Suste
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