No one knows how many traveling kids move through Chattanooga each year. Still, homeless outreach workers with the Chattanooga Community Kitchen say the community should be aware of transient youth coming in and out of local train yards.
Jens Christensen, a representative from the Community Kitchen, offers some insight into how and why the community should respond to this underground population.
Q: You see kids come through Chattanooga every year. What do you know about them and their history with the city?
A: (Freight train riders) have been coming for many years and over the years have ranged from dangerous forces to travelers simply passing through for a while on their way to nowhere in particular. While the group seems to change, many things stay the same. They usually have animals that need care, signs that ask for money, and move in small groups.
The groups have a long history and seem to have loose-knit information and resource networks similar to the hobos of days past.