A new homeless youth shelter opens its doors in Orlando, just as volunteers get ready to hit the streets and count how many homeless youth live in Central Florida.

The facility, run by the Zebra Coalition, is located at an undisclosed location to protect the safety of the young men and women living there.

  • Zebra Coalition helps young LGBTQ people
  • Dernard McNeal among those finding the coalition
  • It's part of collaboration with Aspire Health Partners

The Zebra Coalition is collaborating with Aspire Health Partners to provide comprehensive care to each of the new five people who will live in the new home.

Dernard McNeal found himself living on the streets at 21. His family hit hard times and couldn't financially support him. When he told them he was gay, he says his parents were devastated and still don't understand.

"First it started where I went from place to place to place. Then for a good couple of weeks or months, I was on the streets," McNeal said.

He told us he clearly remembers searching for a place to sleep behind a dumpster. "As I was laying down on the grass, I was like, 'Whoa are you actually homeless?'"

McNeal danced for food, begged relatives for help, and eventually resorted to searching for meals in unseemly places.

"I would have to sneak and get food when the big stores would throw their food away," he said.

Eventually he hit rock bottom, and found himself on the Conroy Road Bridge.

"I remember I was talking to God," he said. "And I was saying, 'I was sorry, please forgive me because I'm about to kill myself.'"

Two strangers pulled him down, and just days later he found the Zebra Coalition.

The organization placed him into stable housing. He received counseling, food assistance, and employment training.

McNeal now lives in his own apartment and has a full time job. "I work at the wonderful Waffle House," he said.

While McNeal’s story is a success, the National Coalition for the Homeless estimate there are between 1 and 1.7 million homeless youths in the United States. About 20 to 40 percent of them identify as LGBT.

The Zebra Coalition focuses on helping young LGBTQ people between 13-24 find any resources they may need to find stability.

Their hope with this new home is to help get more of those kids in central Florida off the streets.

For more information about the application process for the Zebra Coalition, just click here.