You’ll likely be surprised, as I was, to learn the number of homeless youth present in a community like Montgomery County, Virginia. Two thriving universities welcome students and faculty from all over the world into small towns that sit comfortably among the Appalachian Mountains in an almost idyllic environment. In this setting, homeless and unaccompanied youth are almost “invisible” to most of us.  Dr. Wendy Eckenrod makes us aware of the reality and shares her story that has led to the creation of the Eckenrod Foundation, a nonprofit working toward solutions for this highly vulnerable population.  























WENDY’S HOMEGROWN PATCHWORK
Wendy’s childhood and adolescence were spent mostly in Miami, Florida where she was in the minority as a white child among many LatinX neighbors and friends.  The ability to speak Spanish was a must in this vibrant and eclectic setting where she was raised primarily by her single father.   
Despite being raised in this urban environment, Dr. Eckenrod calls Kipper Valley in Patrick County, Virginia on the border of North Carolina, her home.  This is where her great grandmother was raised and where Wendy spent her summers growing up.  It’s also where she relocated at the age of 19 after a period of homelessness that has greatly influenced her life’s path and passions.   
















The contrast between urban Miami and rural Patrick County was striking and served to nurture and develop Wendy’s observational skills and her awareness of cultural diversity from an early age.  She witnessed racism and poverty and developed strong senses of both empathy and appreciation of diversity.




























Wendy talks about the importance of her family and the tremendous influence her father has had on her life.  Raising her mostly alone, she empathizes with the challenges her dad faced leading up to the incident when she was dismissed from her home for showing what he viewed as disrespect. 
Homeless at age 17 as a result, Wendy’s nature as a good student and an athlete continued to serve her well. Surprisingly, she continued to attend school, do her homework, work a part time job and play sports.




























 “My experience being homeless as a teenager is probably very ‘vanilla’ compared to what other people experience. I continued to go to school. I didn’t know not to go to school. I didn’t know that was an option.”
















Her resiliency from both “internal and external perspectives” served her well through this time.  Definitions of homelessness vary from the universally understood “out on the street” to the “