The proposition was stark and unsettling.
Imagine, for a moment, having to walk miles just to find food, shelter or safety. Think about what it would be like to be 9 or 12 or 17 years old and not having a place to call home.
For most people, that’s a hard thing to picture. But it’s a terrifying and harsh reality for far too many youths.
On Saturday, the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness held a special event to shed light on the problem, hosting its Solidarity Walk for Youth Homeless Awareness Month.
The walk, held at the Reading Public Museum Arboretum, brought residents, advocates and service providers to highlight the challenges faced by youth experiencing homelessness in Berks County. Participants heard personal stories, explored local data and engaged in discussion in hopes of deepening understanding of the issue.
One of those stories was about a young woman named Jaylee.
The 17-year-old was found sleeping on a park bench, having fled physical and sexual abuse at home. She had nowhere to go, no easy path to escape.
Another was a 9-year-old named Eric, who was living with his mother in government-subsidized housing.
His mother got behind on rent and they were evicted. Without any other options, they ended up living in a car.
Jack Williams, executive director of the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness, speaks to participants prior to the 2025 Solidarity Walk at the Reading Public Museum on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Coalition Executive Director Jack Williams said addressing such challenges requires a collective effort.
“It’s going to take the entire community to put an end to this,” he said. “We are here today to shine a light on young people who too often go unseen, and awareness is the first step toward meaningful change.”
He said that when he looked out over the crowd assembled to take part in the walk, he knew its purpose was being fulfilled — sharing a commitment to listen, to learn and to take action toward real change.
“Every step we take today carries a message of unity and hope for the young people that we serve,” he said.
Much help needed
And those youths need a lot of help.
Abby Canela, a systems change officer for the coalition, said one of the biggest barriers for those facing housing insecurity is a lack of transportation, explaining that an unhoused individual could be walking up to 15 miles a day to get to various destinations.
Canela said that within the Reading School District alone, 932 students experienced homelessness during the 2022-23 school year.
“We’re asking you to walk just 1 mile to put yourself in their shoes to understand what children across the globe are experiencing on a daily basis,” she said.
Tasha Santiago, youth homeless system specialist for the coalition, acknowledged that the Solidarity Walk will not solve the problem. But it can serve as a spark.
“We all love to talk about community, but we often resist what it demands — our time, our empathy and our accountability,” she said. “Community means showing up even when it’s uncomfortable and inconvenient. Change starts in our conversations.”
Santiago walk participants encountered stories of young people — like Jaylee and Eric — who are struggling with housing insecurity and to keep in mind that lived experience is expertise.
She also asked the crowd to remember that all members of a community pay for youth homelessness in one way or the other. That can be through jail costs, hospital visits or emergency responses, she said, or the community can decide to instead invest in prevention, stability and creating a sense of belonging.
The most expensive thing people can do, Santiago said, is nothing.
Message received
Albright College basketball players Kenedy Cooper of Harrisburg, left, and Julia Parmelee of Piscataway, N.J., participated in the 2025 Solidarity Walk at the Reading Public Museum on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
More than a 100 people heard that message on Saturday.
That included the Albright College women’s basketball team, which participated in the event.
Head coach Alyssa Parsons said she wanted the team to play with a purpose that reaches beyond the basketball court. The players took a few days to think about what cause they wanted to champion and decided to bring attention to homelessness.
Captains Julia Parmele and Kenedy Cooper said the whole team could get behind focusing on those of all ages who are experiencing housing insecurity. They will be hosting events like food giveaways and clothing drives during the season.
When they heard about the Solidarity Walk it seemed like a perfect team outing.
“I think this drives home to all of us that we are very fortunate to have what we have when so many young people are struggling,” Cooper said. “We are coming together as a team and as a community to bring attention to something bigger than all of us.”
Deborah Graf and Amy Stewart-Hymes, board members with the nonprofit Refresh Berks, also took part in the event. Their organization provides a trailer with two fully-functioning shower rooms and a pair of small multipurpose rooms to homeless people across the county.
They said they wanted to participate in the Solidarity Walk to help bring attention to the issue of homelessness and help support the mission of the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness.
“The work that the coalition does is tremendous and is often unseen in our community,” Graf said.
“When there is an opportunity to bring attention to the issue of homelessness we want to be part of that,” Steward-Hymes added.
Berks County Commissioner Dante Santoni Jr. said he wanted to take part in the event not just as an elected official but as a concerned member of the community.
“I wanted to show my support,” he said. “This is obviously a huge issue that will take stakeholders at all levels of government to address. And I know that government is not the answer to everything, but we can be part of the solution.”
Santoni said that about a month ago he had the opportunity to visit homeless encampments around the county with members of the coalition and listen to some of the challenges unhoused individuals deal with on a daily basis.
Firsthand knowledge
Bryan Ruiz knows firsthand about those challenges.
“I have been homeless for the past seven years,” the 31-year-old said. “I work right now, but finding affordable housing has been really difficult. It seems like I can never get ahead enough to keep my head above water.”
Ruiz said there were a number of circumstances that led to his life on the streets. He spent time behind bars for committing crimes and then left home when he began to have disagreements with his stepfather. Since then his family has had its own financial hardships to deal with, so he has been on his own for quite some time.
He is on a waiting list for housing through the coalition.
“Eventually, I will find a place and I will rejoice,” he said. “Living on the streets, out in the elements, is tough. Finding a place to get warm, getting a hot shower, keeping a job and trying to get from place to place is a struggle every single day.”
Ruiz said he thought it was important to attend the event Saturday so he could share his story with anyone who might want to listen.
“I know what homelessness is because I live it,” he said.
Walkers approach a storyboard along the route that tells the story of individual homeless people during the 2025 Solidarity Walk at the Reading Public Museum on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Participants could carry backpacks in solidarity with the homeless during the 2025 Solidarity Walk at the Reading Public Museum on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Tasha Santiago, youth homeless specialist for the Berks Coalition to End Homelessness, speaks to participants during the 2025 Solidarity Walk at the Reading Public Museum on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)