Day 2 Highlights from the Florida Coalition Homelessness Conference
We started the day with a powerful plenary session, I’m Not Broken: Offering Hope to Solve Homelessness. Jesse Leon shared his inspirational journey of overcoming human trafficking and homelessness. His story reminds us: those experiencing homelessness are not broken—they are resilient.
From 10:15 – 12:30, I joined From Young Person to Young Leader: Moving From Transactional to Transformational, an eye-opening session about how slowing down and intentionally engaging youth as leaders sparks transformational growth.
Later, the National Alliance to End Homelessness plenary celebrated progress and addressed challenges in advancing solutions.
In the afternoon, I attended Panel Unscripted: Central Florida’s Journey Towards Authentic Youth Collaboration, where Youth Action Board members and providers shared the power of centering youth voice in leadership.
The day ended with Nothing About You, Without You, unveiling Florida’s Statewide Youth Action Board initiative, which empowers youth voices, builds community, and trains service providers on collaboration.
At night, we lit the hotel green for End Youth Homelessness Day. The awards, a heartfelt poem, and a moving dance performance made this event unforgettable.
Today’s lessons:
• Break down barriers
• Adopt a growth mindset
• Focus on strengths
• Establish genuine relationships
• Your work matters—you’re planting seeds.
You matter. You’re not alone. I believe in you.