As the sun set over Corpus Christi Thursday night, dozens of neighbors laid out cardboard mats and blankets across the pavement, choosing to sleep outside to shine a light on youth homelessness.
For hundreds of young people in the Coastal Bend, sleeping outdoors or in unstable conditions is not a one-night event, but a daily reality.
“It’s heavy is what it is,” educator, Melanie Sanchez, said as she participated in the community sleep-out. Sanchez said she sees the struggle firsthand in some of her students.
“Many of them don’t know where they’ll be sleeping after school,” Sanchez added. “And that’s scary for an adult to have to be aware of at night — even more so for a minor.”
KRIS 6 News reached out to CCISD to find out how many houseless students are recorded within the district. In the 2024-2025 school year, CCISD said about 3.4% of district students were identified as experiencing homelessness. So far this year, 1.4% of students have been identified.
The district encourages families to complete the annual returning student registration, which includes a Student Residency Questionnaire. KRIS 6 News also asked the district which resources would be provided to families and students once that questionnaire was completed, but we were unable to get that information.
As Sanchez sat in the yard of the The Free Store-Corpus Christi, located at 702 Furman Avenue, she along with other neighbors reflected on the reality that many kids in our community face. Their reason for sleeping outside is part of a community sleep-out initiative to raise awareness. The Free Store-Corpus Christi organized the effort in collaboration with Covenant House, a national organization that provides shelter, outreach, crisis care and long-term support to young people affected by homelessness.
According to Covenant House, more than 4.2 million young people experience homelessness each year in the United States. The organization operates in 34 cities across the U.S. and Latin America, offering housing, educational support, health services and workforce development programs to help youth find stability.
As part of covering the event, Neighborhood News Reporter Alexis Scott also joined neighbors on the ground, bringing her own sleeping bag, listening to their stories and witnessing conditions many young people face daily.
“That was heartbreaking, that was heartbreaking," Diana Medina told Scott as she reflected on her own houseless experience.
She said she knows what it's like to struggle and feel like no one cares. Medina shared that her children experienced homelessness along with her and she never wants a child to feel that pain.
“This doesn’t seem like a lot,” Medina said, “but it’s really close to my heart.”
Navy veteran Alex Benavides, who said he has been homeless three times, joined the sleep-out to make sure youth experiencing homelessness are not overlooked.
“It’s sad that kids have to suffer,” Benavides said. “In order to change it, we gotta make it to where you can look at it.”
Those who participated said the goal of the event is not only to raise awareness, but also to encourage the community to learn, donate, support local youth services and advocate for long-term solutions.
If you want to support and donate to Free Store-Corpus Christi, click here.
If you want to help Covenant House in their nationwide mission to build a bridge of hope for young people experiencing homelessness, click here.
For the latest local news updates, click here, or download the KRIS 6 News App.
Catch all the KRIS 6 News stories and more on our YouTube page. Subscribe today!
