You would think in 2016 there would be fewer young adults on our streets facing homelessness.
In reality there are more now than ever before and there's one place in Detroit where the welcome mat is always waiting.
Stephanie Taylor has been a beacon of light for 18 years at Covenant House Michigan. It's a place where people can escape homelessness, get food, a warm bed and help to regain their footing.
Most difficult for Stephanie is when families have to be split apart.
Stephanie says, "When you get a family and all the shelters are full, you may have to split the family. That's really sad."
We spent a couple of days in a Covenant House van with Stephanie, who is the Outreach Manager, and Marquise Williams, who works right beside her. They're a team and begin each day with prayer.
On this day, when we're visiting, it's raining and we're heading to pick up two homeless teens from Muskegon who have called for help.
Stephanie says, "If they say they don't have anywhere to go and they need help we'll go get them."
We land at a home in Detroit, where an unidentified woman who gave these girls a place to live says they have to go.
The first girl comes out on this cold, rainy day with shorts on and no shoes on her feet. Stephanie takes off her own shoes, so she is not walking barefoot.
The second girl says she's been beaten by her boyfriend and forced into sex trafficking. She's schizophrenic and bi-polar. Stephanie says mental illness is a big problem for the homeless.
Stephanie says, "A lot of times, through God's help, we're able to convince them to come into the hospital, so they can be evaluated, to get stabilized or put on medication."
The two girls are checked into the residential facility which houses 75 people, including Vanassa Roberts, who was given up for adoption at 11 months and has been passed around from home to home.
Vanassa says, "Covenant House has taught me how to grow, learn, and to trust people and my future."
The campus is made up of more than five acres. It has a dining hall, recreation center and a job development center. Residents are also counseled on drugs, gangs, education and more.
Covenant House has been around since 1997 and they have helped more than 54,000 youth who have felt abandoned.
These young people can stay as long as it takes to get back on their feet and Stephanie is here every step of the way.
Stephanie says, "To me, it's not a job. That's what God would want us to do, this is like a ministry - blessed to have an organization that cares about us."
That's why we choose Stephanie Taylor as Our Person of the Week.
