Youth advocate Malachi Gillespie knows firsthand the impact that poverty can have on a family’s physical and mental well-being. From 2016 to 2020, Malachi was part of the kinship foster care system. When he was reunited with his nuclear family, they faced challenges, but he could not have been happier living with his siblings and mom.

As an essential worker, Malachi’s mom shouldered an overwhelming amount of stress caused by her workload, economic challenges and worries about being infected. The family struggled to make ends meet and eventually was forced to navigate from living in their car, sleeping at hotels and wandering from place to place.

The pandemic made for a challenging time for people everywhere, and being unhoused exacerbated Malachi’s feelings of isolation and loneliness. As one of five boys, Malachi relied on his brothers for emotional support. They each shared a unique understanding of what the others were experiencing and everyone played a part in helping the family rise out of poverty by working various jobs.

Gradually, family life became more stable, and today Malachi lives with three of his brothers and his mom. As a college student in Fort Collins, Colorado, Malachi maintains a busy schedule that includes his studies, a job with an event planning company and activism.

He serves on the National Runaway Safeline’s Youth Advisory Board, as a Fellow with RESULT (Raise Your Voice to End Poverty) and a volunteer with the Fort Collins Rescue Mission. Additionally, Malachi is a member of the Youth Advisory Committee for TAC212, a teen activity center that offers a variety of scheduled programming, drop-in activities and free mental health resources.

As an Ambassador for Youth Homelessness, Outreach, Prevention, and Education (HOPE) Month, Malachi is meeting with students and sharing a runaway response plan that he helped create. He is also spreading the word about the public awareness campaign and the importance of supporting vulnerable youth by posting on social media.

NRS appreciates Malachi’s commitment to raising awareness and supporting youth in crisis. To learn more about the NRS Youth Advisory Board, visit the Youth and Teens tab on 1800runaway.org.