FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Maria Lamarca Anderson, Community Relations Manager
206.728.7777/mlanderson@kirotv.com

Tuesday, June 23 • 10 p.m. • KIRO 7

SEATTLE -- Homeless in Seattle. For the youth of our city, is it a conscious choice or the only option?

When the Streets are Your Home, a KIRO 7 Family Connection Special Presentation, explores the lives of these young people, referred to by many as “street kids.” Hosted by KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Anchors Steve Raible and Angela Russell, the documentary airs on Tuesday, June 23, at 10 p.m. on KIRO 7 and Comcast 107.

Raible and Russell take us to “The Ave” in the University District, where we meet several veterans of the streets. Some of these kids are there because of physical fights with their parents; others are battling their own internal demons. Some have contact with supportive families; others have seemingly been forgotten.

When the Streets are Your Home gives an in-depth look at who these street kids are and how they became homeless at such a young age. It explores the potential dangers they face on the streets and the possibilities they could have in the future. It features those who are trying to help them and the need for specific services. And, it addresses why society should care for them when they are unable to care for themselves.

One young man has been homeless for five years and has weekly contact with his family in Snohomish. During one visit, his father expresses his hopes for his son. A teenager from Snoqualmie with “a really great family” has found it easier to survive on her own for the past three years. She plays music on The Ave during the day and sleeps under bridges at night.

Another homeless youth grew up near the Hamptons of Long Island; at 18, she feels she’s doing her mother a favor by not staying with her. She considers “spanging,” the street term for asking for spare change, her job.

There are also stories of success, giving hope to these kids who have little. One young man who was living in a van just before filming began has his own apartment and two jobs four months later. Another, from Skagit County, was homeless before going to college. He eventually earned a masters degree from Case Western Reserve University and is back on the streets, this time helping those whose lives he knows all too well.

When the Streets are Your Home is written and directed by Ben Saboonchian, photographed by Peter Frerichs and edited by Peter Gamba and Rick Woolery. It airs on channel 7 and Comcast 107 on Tuesday, June 23, at 10 p.m. Accompanying material can be found on kirotv.com: extended interviews and video footage, a “Donut Dialogue” between street kids and police officers; programs that help kids off the streets; and ways to help.

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Steve Raible
Steve Raible co-anchors KIRO 7 Eyewitness News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday alongside Angela Russell and chief meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson. He is the voice of KIRO 7’s extensive Seafair race coverage and since 1982 has been the color analyst for Seattle Seahawks football on 710 KIRO. Steve is one of the Northwest’s favorite master of ceremonies and supports many Northwest agencies including Children’s Home Society of Washington, Fred Hutchison Cancer Research Center, Big Brothers and Family Services.

Angela Russell
Angela Russell co-anchors KIRO 7 Eyewitness News at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Monday through Friday alongside Steve Raible and chief meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson. She has reported on the major news of the day, covering the historic 2008 presidential race and issues on national security at the height of the War on Terror. Angela also reported on a wide variety of Congressional hearings, most notably on steroid abuse in Major League Baseball.

Ben Saboonchian
Ben Saboonchian is KIRO 7’s documentary writer-producer. His work has been recognized with a Peabody Award, a duPont Award, six Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards and 18 Regional Emmys. In addition, he has received awards in numerous regional and national competitions. Ben often serves as a guest lecturer for a variety of documentary production classes.

KIRO 7 Family Connection
A multi-year program that helps families stay connected to each other and to our community. It includes a variety of activities that support families and make a positive difference in all our lives.

KIRO 7 is a Cox Media Group station and CBS affiliate serving Western Washington.

About Cox Media Group
Cox Media Group is a broadcasting, publishing and digital media subsidiary of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises. It includes the broadcast stations of Cox Television; publishing titles of Cox Newspapers; majority-owned, publicly-traded Cox Radio [NYSE: CXR]; and the national advertising rep firms of Telerep, HRP, MMT Sales and Cox Cross Media.