‘Help the LGBTQ homeless crisis,’ pleads disowned gay Georgia teen After receiving over $90k in donations when his family kicked him out for being gay, Daniel Ashley Pierce has asked the public to donate instead to the charity helping him move on 04 SEPTEMBER 2014 | BY JEAN PAUL ZAPATA A gay teen, who was beaten and kicked out of his home by his family for being gay, has asked the public to donate to a charity for LGBT homeless youth. Daniel Ashley Pierce received over $90,000 (€68,456) in donations after a video of his family kicking him out and attacking him went viral. Now, the teen is asking for donations to be re-directed from him to Lost-n-Found Youth, an Atlanta-based non-profit that helps get LGBT homeless youth off the streets. Pierce wrote: ‘Please visit the Lost-n-Found Youth website at Lost-n-Found.org for more information on how you can make a difference for the many other kids in the world like me.’ Lost-n-Found Executive Director Rick Westbrook said in a statement: I would say were right at $10,000 (thanks to Pierce donations). Daniel is an incredibly bright and courageous young man. He is the epitome of who Lost n Found is here to serve. The organization plans to turn a Victorian home into a homeless shelter in 2015. Pierce’s plight has come under the international spotlight after his friend posted a video to YouTube of his stepmother hitting him and kicking him out of their house because he is gay. I was basically beaten and thrown from my home of 19 years. They took everything including my college text books. I intend to use this money to get the basic things I need such as a bed, text books, medical stuff and transportation,’ Pierce wrote online last week. Now, the teenager asks for time to move on and plan his next move. ‘It’s important for all of you to know that right now, what I need most is time to think and work through the next steps in my life. ‘This has been a rough time for me and I never imagined that so many people would show such overwhelming compassion and generosity.’ If you are a youth in crisis please call or text 678-856-7825 now. Youth may also visit the Lost-n-Found Center located at 2585 Chantilly Dr 30324, open Mondays & Wednesdays 12 noon to 5pm, Fridays 12 noon to 8pm.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 07:45:01 +0000