Once again, Eric is organizing and participating in Operation Come Home‘s $24 challenge this year. Based on the stipend provided by the government for a typical 17-year-old homeless youth, we calculated that after the expenses related to looking for housing and employment they would have about $24/week left with which to buy food.

This is why most homeless youth come to places like the Operation Come Home (OCH) drop-in where there is free breakfast, and supplement their income by panhandling. But we thought – how difficult would it be, really, to live on just $24 for a whole week?

For the past three years, Eric and his OCH friends have spent a week doing the $24 challenge, which has been difficult. This year, he’s planning to do it a little differently – spending $48 to feed himself and his 18-year-old step son Owen. (His wife wants no part of this.)

We are asking for pledges for Eric and Owen in the amount of $24 to support this initiative and to support Operation Come Home. With your donations, they can continue to be a place where homeless youth can go to get a meal, to learn about food preparation with the FoodWorks program, and to learn about growing food and organic farming with the FarmWorks program.

And be sure to follow Eric and the others on their journey through the $24 challenge on his Instagram right here. Thank you CHEZ nation!