A Story to Tell

When Shardy Camargo (third from left) was in ninth grade, she and her family lived on the streets in the Dominican Republic. She seldom went to school that year. Now 18, Camargo is a freshman at the University of Central Florida and a recent recipient of the Prudential Spirit of Community Award for her work in raising awareness about homelessness. She was chosen as one of the country's top 10 youth volunteers. Camargo worked with other Florida teens to publish the book Everyone Has a Story to Tell, a collection of interviews with 30 homeless adults at the shelter where Camargo now volunteers. Current Events caught up with Camargo to hear her story.

Current Events: How did you feel being chosen as one of the country's top 10 youth volunteers?

Shardy Camargo: That was a really big deal. … It was incredible. … Prudential picked … five middle school students and five high school students. Each of us got $5,000 towards a nonprofit of our choice and $5,000 for ourselves. It was a huge help. It helped me pay for school. … I work at the Boys & Girls Club [and] I volunteered at the Coalition for the Homeless [of Central Florida] for over two years, so it was hard for me to decide [which organization to choose, but I was able to split the award between them]. 

CE: How did your experience being homeless affect you? Tell us about that experience and the challenges you faced.

SC: It taught me that I really need to give back in any way [I can]. … [My family's experience] started with an issue we had with my sister, who made some bad choices. We pretty much gave up everything [and went to stay with family in the Dominican Republic]. We only took what we could carry. … After a point, we just realized we could not stay there. There were just too many people in the same house. We went to another city, called Puerto Plata. We were so transient. It was just so crazy. We wouldn't know where we were going. We just didn't know what was going to happen. We came back to America and went to Boston. I didn't go to school this whole time. … It's the worst thing to not have anything to do. I think people fall into hopelessness and helplessness because they don't know what to do. 

We spent several nights on the street. You'd be amazed how common that is [in the Dominican Republic,] especially in the tourist section. I met this one girl who had three kids and had not eaten in a week. 

I think that whole experience made me a better person. But I think that not going to school was not [the best decision]. … I think that's why I do the things I do at the Coalition for the Homeless. It's about how important school is. … The profits from our first book we donated to the coalition, and we set up a library for them. They have about 2,000 books.

Comments

[Brandon A]

I think what this girl did was a very good thing. I can't even picture myself doing what she did—having no money and going to school. If this were me, I would think about my family and not focus on school; it would be hard. I give her and her family a lot of credit.

[katinakirksey]

I think that what that girl did was very sweet. I can't even picture myself doing that. She had no money and still going to school. If I were her I would focus on my family and not school. That would be hard, but I give her and her family a lot of respect and credit.