Recent work from the Youth Advisory Board

November 28, 2022 – Podcast Episode

Let’s Talk: A Conversation with the National Runaway Safeline Youth Advisory Board

June 22, 2022 – Panel Discussion

The Intersection of LGBTQIA2S+ Identity & Homelessness

Current NRS Youth Advisory Board Members

Amea Smith 

Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Age: 21

Amea is 21 years old and originally from Greensboro, North Carolina before she moved to Baton Rouge, LA. She is also a Youth Advisory Board Facilitator for Youth Oasis, where she works with young adults experiencing homelessness. She experienced homelessness herself so she feels strongly about the topic and she works everyday to help prevent it. She also loves writing and reading.

Antonio “Tony” Latray Davis-Robinson 

Pronouns: He/Him
Location: Las Vegas, NV 
Age: 22 

Antonio “Tony” Latray Davis-Robinson is committed to serving his community through outreach and advocacy. Tony experienced youth homelessness firsthand and has volunteered and acted as an ambassador for those with similar experiences since he was a teenager. He works as a shift manager at McDonalds, is a student at Northwest Career College, and has plans to become a nurse. 

Brie Lamarche

Pronouns: She/her
Location: Rochester, NH
Age: 22

Brie, 22, has lived experience of running away and youth homelessness and was in DCYF care from the ages of 14-18. She is also part of a leader board to help end youth homelessness in New Hampshire called Youth Success Project. She has worked to end the pandemic of young adult homelessness since 2020 and is hoping to further this fight through other organizations!

Carmen Pace

Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Corvallis, OR
Age: 18

Carmen is 18 and had a daughter a little over two months ago. When Carmen was younger and living with a controlling mother they had tons of problems. Carmen would run away a lot until her parents sent her to treatment at 15, which left her a lot of trauma and PTSD to deal with. After a year of being there she graduated from the program and decided she no longer wanted to be with family. So at 16 she left and ever since she’s been on her own, sometimes not having a place to stay. Her boyfriend and others in her life have helped her so much by taking care of her and helping her grow into the woman she is today. That’s why she wants to give back and help people in need.

EJ Velez 

Pronouns: He/Him 
Location: Kutztown, PA 
Age: 21 

EJ serves on the National Runaway Safeline’s Youth Advisory Board and as a Youth Consultant for the National Network for Youth. As somebody who is both blind and transgender, he knows intimately how the intersectionality of disability and identity can impact a youth struggling with homelessness. EJ is passionate about supporting youth in crisis through resources and advocacy. 

Isabella Lee

Pronouns: She/They
Location: New York, New York
Age: 19

Isabella is a student at Cornell University studying human development and cognitive neuroscience. She is a fierce advocate of educational equity and anti-violence, working with several organizations across NYC to fight the epidemic of educational inequality, housing instability, and violence disproportionately impacting homeless or otherwise vulnerable youth in NYC. In addition to her life as a student and advocate, Isabella is an avid songwriter.

Maeleigh Penson

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 
Location: Austin, Texas
Age: 21

Maeleigh contacted the National Runaway Safeline for support after running away from a toxic household as a teenager. Now, at 21, she is an expectant mother who has begun the process of studying to become a nurse.

Malachi Gillespie 

Pronouns: He/Him/His 
Location: Fort Collins, CO 
Age: 18 

Malachi has partnered with Fort Collins Rescue Mission and other outreach efforts for two years to ensure people experiencing homelessness in his community feel safe reaching out to him for support.  In addition to advocacy work for youth in crisis, Malachi’s other interests include music, marketing, and audio production. Malachi is a student and works in event production. 

Mia Sostrin 

Pronouns: They/Them 
Location: Chicago, IL 
Age: 23 

Mia is a social work student at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Mia’s personal experience with homelessness informs both their career path and their advocacy work. On top of Mia’s dedication to NRS’ Youth Advisory Board, they are also a Youth for Truth representative. Mia loves music, singing, and performing; they hope to incorporate music into their future career in social work.  

Perla Flores

Pronouns: She/Her
Location: Houston, TX
Age: 19

Perla is 19 years old and currently residing in Houston TX. She is a Lone Star College student. Her goal is to help people that need help- especially kids in the foster care system.

Rachel Litchman 

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 
Location: Madison, WI
Age: 23 

Rachel is a disabled artist, writer, youth advocate, and community organizer in Madison, Wisconsin working at the intersection of disability justice and youth housing justice. She is a current member of the National Runaway Safeline Youth Advisory Board, the Dane County Youth Action Board, and Youth Collaboratory’s Youth Catalyst Team. Her artistic work is rooted firmly in her identities as a queer, disabled survivor of child sexual abuse and commitment to bringing awareness to silenced and stigmatized issues faced broadly by the disability community. Her comics and writing on disability and youth homelessness have previously appeared in The Washington Post, Disability Visibility, Rooted in Rights, and Youth Collaboratory’s blog, among other places. She has been involved in Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program for the past two years and is privileged to be part of an amazing team in Madison, WI collectively making systems change.

Youth Advisory Board Membership Application