A Day in the Life of a Homeless High Schooler
For the Winter Holiday 2025, the Neighborhood provided $100 Gift Cards for 75 Homeless High School Kids
Maya's Day: A Day in the Life of an Unaccompanied 15-Year-Old Student in Austin
We'll call our hero Maya.
She's one of dozens of Austin ISD students living entirely on their own, couch surfing, and doing everything possible to stay invisible.
Maya isn't her real name, but her story is.
5:45 AM
Maya wakes up on a couch that isn't hers. The apartment smells like cigarettes and stale takeout.
She's been here three nights. Last night, one of the adults made an inappropriate comment about "helping with rent."
She knows what that means.
Before anyone else wakes up, she grabs her backpack and slips out.
6:30 AM
At the gas station, she spends her last few dollars on coffee and crackers. That's breakfast and lunch.
She washes her face in the bathroom mirror and heads toward school. If she can blend in, no one will ask questions.
8:15 AM
Maya walks through the front doors, keeping her head down.
She loves being there: the noise, the routine, the hours where no one expects her to explain. But if the counselor finds out she's on her own, she could be sent back home.
Where does her mom's boyfriend still live? Where no one believed her the first time?
That's not an option.
So she smiles, says "I'm fine," and stays invisible.
3:45 PM
When the bell rings, everyone else heads home.
Maya texts a few people.
Hey can i crash tonight? won't be long…
Most don't reply. The ones who do often come with conditions. Offers from older guys who say they "just want to help." Places where she's expected to be "grateful" in ways that make her stomach turn.
By evening, someone finally responds: sure, just for a night.
10:20 PM
She's back on another couch.
She keeps her shoes close and her phone charged. She sleeps in her clothes, always prepared to leave quickly.
She's learned that "help" often comes with expectations. That desperation makes you vulnerable. Being young, female, and alone puts a target on your back.
Tomorrow she'll wake up early and move again.
Maya's story isn't rare.
It's what dozens of Austin ISD students are living right now, navigating dangers no child should face alone. Many fled abuse at home only to reencounter it on the streets.
This Holiday Season: 75 Kids Just Like Maya
Right now, 75 unaccompanied homeless high school students in Austin are facing the holidays alone.
We want to sponsor each of them with a $100 holiday gift card to give them options that don't require them to compromise their safety or dignity.
What a $100 Gift Card Can Do
Food and hygiene items without having to "earn" them
A prepaid phone card to stay connected to help
Warm clothing and shoes
Bus fare to reach safety when a situation turns dangerous
The dignity to choose what they need most
It's not a solution to homelessness. But it's relief. It's dignity. It's hope.
It's someone saying, "I see you, and you deserve to be safe."
