Clear-eyed and moving . . . Its essential and inspiring message is about how even the worst problems, once seen, can be solved.”—Tampa Bay Times
“An inspiring and instructive read for anyone who wants to help but feels too powerless to start.”—Oprah Daily
“A gently urgent call to arms, a plea for attention and a good read altogether.”—Philadephia Tribune
“We can't all emulate Sokolik, but her example should motivate us not only to see these folks, but to help them if we can.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“A compelling call to action about a practically invisible population.”—Booklist
“Moving . . . A timely and truly inspiring memoir.”—Kirkus
“Helping traumatized teenagers with no homes or functional parents is hard, complicated work, but Vicki Sokolik won’t take no for an answer. Her zealous, sometimes maddening, but ultimately heroic persistence turns out to be just what it takes to overcome the defenses of her young clients and push them, struggling, into a better life. This is a book for anyone who knows how tricky it can be to help.”—Larissa MacFarquhar, author of Strangers Drowning: Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Urge to Help
“These unforgettable, deeply moving, all-too-true stories amount to an urgent call to action.”—Robert Kolker, author of Hidden Valley Road
In this deeply compassionate book, Vicki Sokolik gives homeless youth a chance to be seen and heard—and gives readers ample reason to take action.”—Anya Kamenetz, author of The Stolen Year
“Vicki Sokolik gives a voice and hope to young people who otherwise don’t have one. As a former unhoused youth myself, I am grateful for her tireless advocacy. The book inspires readers to take notice and take action for those less fortunate.”—Ashley Rhodes-Courter, author of the New York Times bestseller Three Little Words
“Invisible to society, unaccompanied homeless youth surround us. This emotional narrative compels us to confront the enormous challenges facing young people who must survive without any caring adult in their lives. It is a call to action for other communities to replicate the Starting Right, Now model, inspired by one woman’s tireless activism and unwavering belief in the good that resides in all of us.”—Pam Iorio, former mayor of Tampa
“If You See Them compels us to examine how we fail to support the most vulnerable youth. It inspires us to look beyond preconceived notions of homelessness and help our youth succeed by ‘seeing them,’ demonstrating compassion, but also looking deeper to see what ‘happened’ to them. In the end, it proves that there is no such thing as a bad kid.”—Thaddeus Bullard aka WWE Global Ambassador Titus O’Neil, author of There's No Such Thing as a Bad Kid
“Proof that the ordinary among us can do the extraordinary, Vicki Sokolik's If You See Them shines a floodlight on our most vulnerable children and compels us to action.”—Mona Hanna-Attisha, author of What the Eyes Don't See
2023-11-18
Rebuilding the shattered lives of unhoused youth.
Sokolik, the founder and CEO of Starting Right, Now (SRN), makes a moving debut, recounting her journey from charitable citizen to prominent advocate for the “unseen and unprotected population” of unaccompanied, unhoused youth. Coming from wealth and privilege, the author looked for ways to help those less fortunate, such as delivering Thanksgiving dinners to needy families. “I wanted to show the world that I was a good and useful person,” she writes. “It was a way to protect myself from judgment.” When she became aware of the large number of unhoused high school students in her Florida community, she saw an opportunity to make a lasting impact. “Each unaccompanied youth has lived a patchwork life,” she writes, dealing with violence, abuse, loss of one or both parents, hunger, arrests, loneliness, and sometimes addiction. At first, Sokolik focused on a few teenagers by finding them housing, sifting through the obstacles within federal and state safety nets to get them benefits, smoothing a path to employment, and working with social workers and school counselors to ensure ongoing support. Spurred by her city’s mayor, she founded SRN, which offers students mentoring, tutoring, and extensive programming to help them “figure out how to be who they are” and who they hope to become. In her detailed profiles of many of these young men and women, Sokolik highlights the challenges involved in helping them, including negativity, distrust, and various mental health issues. “People who have lived through trauma don’t heal overnight,” she writes. “You have to keep showing up for them, often in ways they don’t expect.” The author faced personal challenges, including “letting go of unrealistic expectations” and her tendency to be overbearing. Nevertheless, as she reveals, her stubborn faith and tireless activism have led to some impressive successes.
A timely and truly inspiring memoir.