"The Homestretch" - free screening of new film about homeless Chicago youth

"The Homestretch" follows three homeless teens, one of them LGBTQ, as they fight to stay in school, graduate, and build a future. Each of these smart, ambitious teenagers - Roque, Kasey and Anthony - will surprise, inspire, and challenge audiences to rethink stereotypes of homelessness as they work to complete their education while facing the trauma of being alone and abandoned at an early age. As their stories unfold, the film connects us deeply with larger issues of poverty, race, juvenile justice, immigration, foster care, and LGBTQ rights. ”The Homestretch will be an amazing and important film with the potential to change the way we think about the problem of youth homelessness," said Alex Kotlowitz, author of the widely-acclaimed book "There Are No Children Here." Official selection of the 2014 Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Watch the trailer here: www.homestretchdoc.com/trailer Child care available -- go to www.berryumc.org for details. A free-will offering to benefit The Night Ministries will follow the screening, which is co-sponsored by Berry United Methodist Church and the Gay Liberation Network. The film is a co-production between Spargel Productions and Kartemquin Films.