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Trying to Help Runaways My family have 2 runaway teenaged girls that have sought our help. They are not related to us as family members. They came with no IDs and no money. They said their things were stolen. Teen 1 is known to us but barely. She is acquainted to us through my youngest daughter. The teens initially said that they would stay 2 days but have been with us for about several weeks/months. Teen 1 had actually sought our help before, stayed a few months, then went to her other relatives in another state, but came back bringing the other runaway teen. Teen 1 says that her parents threw her out about 6 months prior to her first seeking my family's help. Teen 2 says that her parents threw her out also. At first, they both slept all day and were out all night. My husband has talked to them and they stayed home but still slept all day. My husband did ask them what they wanted to do with their lives. Teen 1 wanted to attend school and find a job-she had not finished high school when her parents "threw her out." Teen 2 said she wanted to find her stepfather but all the information she had with her was that he is in Washington State. Teen 2 also wants to find a job. Currently, Teen 1 has obtained a part-time job and is taking classes at an alternative high school. She is using our old beat-up minivan to get around between the school, job, and our home. Teen 2 has no job and stays at home. I believe she sleeps all day, barely doing enough housework to justify her "helping" around the house, on a daily basis anyway. I have come home to a messy house and wake up the next day to a kitchen full of dirty dishes, etc. I do appreciate the help when they do help. But, I believe that to have food, lodging, etc., provided for you, a clean home for the workers should be expected. We do not have young children around that make a constant mess, just young adults and my spouse and I. I believe that they are all waiting for someone else to do the work-it's someone else's turn type of scenario. Sadly, including my own family. Our home has become tense. I am thankful that I can find information from your website. It is giving me a ray of hope to improve the teens' situation and my family's. I shall take the information I have found through the Internet and your website, have the teens and my family read them, and have a positive discussion, hopefully. Well, here I go.
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