My name is Matt Walker, and  I've been working with Kim Crane as part of my summer internship at the Vanderbilt Institute for Public Policy Studies. A lot of the work I have been doing has been in conjunction with the Mayor's Office on Children and Youth and the Runaway and Homeless Youth Coalition. The Coalition has been trying to get a better picture of the runaway and homeless youth population in Davidson county, and what kinds of services are available to those youth. This is only a small step to reaching the Coalitions long-term goal of forming and carrying out a county-wide plan to end homelessness among youth.
In looking at the root of the problem of homelessness in youth, foster care is a huge factor. Many homeless adults will mention that they were once in foster care, which begs some questions that need answering. What didn't work for this now homeless person? What can be improved in the foster system to catch problems early? Are there safety nets for youth that age out of care? Are the youth being treated with respect and love? So many things need to be considered, and it is a daunting task, that much is certain.
My work with the Coalition for this summer has been to carry out an interview assessment with a number of agencies that provide services to runaway and homeless youth. These assessments will help the Coalition, at the very least, figure out where to being addressing some of  the questions I mentioned earlier It's just a part of the population data the Coalition needs to see how these youth are being treated and served.
            So far, my task been a great learning experience. I'm picking up on little skills like how ask the right questions, and I'm learning  how to be organized with all the responses I record. As for the big picture, I'm learning how policies are being carried out and how non-profits work. It's actually overwhelming at times to think about what goes into running entire service organizations.
            That said, my work has ranged from frustrating to very gratifying. Frustrating, in that scheduling these interviews requires so much persistence. I'm persistently exchanging e-mails, playing phone tag with agency representatives; it's not easy. But then there is the gratification in knowing that the data gathered with these interviews will be used to not only improve present services for runaway and homeless youth, but also create entirely new services to meet the needs of the population.
            In the course of my work here at VIPPS, with Kim Crane, I've witnessed and experienced a deep caring for a sub-population of youth that in many cases goes unnoticed by the public. I find it sobering to realize that each of these youth (a large number of which aged out of foster care) carry so much potential, so much power and uniqueness.
            I believe every one of them has the potential to succeed in life and overcome their present, perhaps bleak situation. But, as with every belief, it takes the firm resolve and action of those who are able, to make a difference, and I can say that the members of the  Runaway and Homeless Youth Coalition (and those not in the coalition) are doing just that. I am grateful to be here at VIPPS, grateful that I can contribute and maybe even make a lasting mark in the lives of Nashville's youth.