'They're just a kid struggling:' Sudbury Action Centre addresses street teen suicide

Julie Gorman, youth program coordinator at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth, says one in five teens has seriously contemplated suicide in the past year.

The centre wants to raise awareness of this issue, and let teens know that suicide doesn't have to be an option,  especially for those living out on the streets.

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To help do that, Gorman said that youth from the centre will be personalizing t-shirts and hanging them on a clothesline outside the building.

"[The event] is supposed to help humanize the youth that are on the streets," Gorman said. "And let people know that a kid who's dirty or dressed differently does not necessarily mean that they are there to mug you or to harm you."

"They're just a kid struggling the way your kid at home might be struggling ... maybe even a little moreso."

Gorman hopes that the event lets people know that that suicide is the second leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 24.

"We just want people in the city to know that these youth are struggling, they do exist and they have survived," Gorman said. "Their lives matter."

Child and Youth suicide prevention week wraps up on Saturday.