Outpouring Of Concern For Homeless Children From HuffPost Community

On Wednesday, Arianna wrote about the human cost of the millions of foreclosures taking place across America. She focused on the surge in school children whose families have been evicted from their homes - and are struggling to learn while dealing with the instability and inherent distress of homelessness.

Inspired by Erik Eckholm's reporting in the New York Times, Arianna tore up a speech she had prepared for a big education conference and instead talked to the gathered dignitaries about the crisis of homeless school kids.

Arianna's post elicited an outpouring of concern and empathy from the Huffpost community.

"I actually cried while reading this article," wrote BabeLush. "So much of us take for granted what we have. Being a victim of Hurricane Katrina I know how quickly your life can be turned upside down."

And BabeLush was not alone. Dozens of people said the story moved them to tears while others were enraged by the absence of social justice. A commenter by the namePlainsWoman wrote:

"The effect of homelessness/poverty on our children is not only devastating to their academic achievement, it is also a civil rights issue. While the CEO's get richer, we have children going without food and shelter every day."

"To paraphrase a quote that has been attributed to Marcus Borg: 'Charity is about helping victims, justice is about asking why there are victims.' Where is the justice for these children and families?"

Among the outpouring of empathy, some have also contributed their own stories of homeless children in their community. Commenter Eilish wrote:

Story continues below

advertisement

"My daughter-in-law had nine homeless students in her 1st grade class. The school was in chaos, feeding dozens of students free breakfast - that they hadn't expected. These children slept at their desks, some cried because they were afraid their parents wouldn't be able to find them after school. Some had head lice; some asked if they could wash in the bathroom. More than one sneaked some lunch into a napkin, and if noticed were extremely anxious..."

"Call a school near you and find out if they need help. Call your governor and ask where you can volunteer (that'll get 'em thinking). There are food banks & shelters that are desperate for donations of food and money."

"We've been offering our RV as a temporary stopgap for families who need time to get to a point where they have a secure place to go."

Eilish was not alone in calling for action. As Arianna mentions in her blog, there are steps that the government can and should take to mitigate foreclosures and provide assistance to homeless school children. But we also have an individual responsibility to help our neighbors. Many have expressed an eagerness to aid children like Cody and Charity, but don't know how to volunteer or which organization deserves their contribution. It seems that it's too often the case that once you read a story about hardship, the inspiration to affect change is stymied by a lack of information about how best to lend a hand.

The Huffington Post wants to break down this barrier to getting involved. In early October, we are launching a new section called Impact in partnership with Causecast.org that will empower people concerned about social ills like child homelessness to make a difference. Impact will offer the community ways to take action, contribute and get involved.

We would like to hear from you. How do you think people can be part of the solution to the pressing issues of our day? If you have a story that you would like to share on the Huffington Post, or have tips on how people can get involved, write to us at [e-mail].

If you are one of the many readers who saw Arianna's post on homeless school children and thought, "How can I help?" sign up below to join the Impact mailing list. You will be kept up to date on ways you can contribute on both a local and national level:

 

 

Comments

[PatrickVOAMI]

Well written story that helps to show the truth. We struggle every day to house and care for families. Volunteers of America is the largest provider of homeless services in the Lansing, Michigan area. Three things I'm trying to do to respond to the need.
1. Raise $26,000 to move my wonderfully compassionate Case Manager for our HotelMotel program to full time and pay her benefits. Our HotelMotel program is often the last resort for families, with existing family shelters full; large families too large for shelter suites or kids too old for family shelters.
2. Raise $58,000 to cover the anticipated increase in need for this winter. It was the hardest of my career last year. Spent the money anyhow and donors came through last year, but the worry is hard. Trying to get out front of it this year. Unemployment at 15% in Michigan and has bottomed out yet.
3. Raise money to fund an expansion of our Women and Children's emergency shelter to add family suites and Head-Start­Montessorr­i, tutuors for the olders. Right now it's all congregate dormitory - really hard place for families. Imagine a collicky baby in a dorm of strangers who are all dealing with plenty of challenges of their own.

[MidnightRaine]

This makes me want to cry! I feel so sad for children that are going through one day to the next not even knowing where they will lay their little heads to sleep at night. The only guarantee of food, warmth, and cover is found at school. This is such a big burden for children so small. How does this happen in the wealthiest nation? Why is every media outlet not shouting this from the roof tops? Are our priorities now so low now that this is issue is not a moral obligation of every American to solve?

[klbrz]

I have said before that local governments should take over vacant properties that that could be useful for housing the homeless, charities, whatever. It is not uncommon for a government and its citizens to have spent a lot of money in building roads, schools, utilities, etc for much new development. They grant tax benefits, etc. If the new development, after all that, does not realize for the city the benefits it had counted on, then the city should own the property. They were partners with the developers and if the deal falls through, the local governments should be able to recoup some of the money it invested.

[imwithsarah]

Imagine the housing that could have been created with the bailout money.

[mntleo2]

Added to this idea: how about allowing low income people to BUY their home? For several decades the government has allowed upper income people to buy these homes for pennies on the dollar and then rent them to low income families. This way families would have an investment in their neighborhoods. It would produce stability for their kids who would actually have ONE place to grow up instead of moving every two years, which is the fate of the renter?

In the 1970's there was such a program just like this that allowed low income families to buy their homes. It was called "235" and they paid their mortgages according to income ~ like they do with rent now on Section 8. Section 8 monies only make landlords wealthy. Owning your own home gives people an investment that goes far beyond just the house. Of interest then becomes their neighborhoods, their schools, their local government, and their local businesses.

(sigh) I am dreaming I know. In this "rich people deserve tax breaks the poor deserve to pay their way" society (I am not kidding, the poor pay more taxes than the rich and middle income people), see: http://www.itepnet.org/wp2000/text.pdf ), it is all about making rich people richer. who CARES about supporting low income workers?

[mntleo2]

As a long time activist for low income families, I am glad to finally see this concern, but wanting to ask, "Where the HELL were these people while our safety net was being dismantled 13 years ago and while thousands of families were facing this during this time???"

While people might want to think homelessness is something that has suddenly happened right now,.the truth is it has been around for decades. And it isn't just alcoholics and drug addicts, even though for YEARS we have tried to raise conscientiousness about it. There have been entire families struggling for stability, mothers working slave McJobs full time that do not even pay the rent much less food, energy or transportation costs.. Many of these families were women and children fleeing domestic violence situation and to this day there is *no* support for these women. Unless you want to count housing where women and kids live in a place that has a bed, some torn magazines and a public phone. How fitting that, now that middle class are experiencing this injustice, suddenly it becomes an issue.

Read Nickled and Dimed again if you haven't, written at least 5 years ago when the economy was "booming." At the premier of the play based this book, Ehrenriech told me personally, "The saddest part of my story is that it took someone like me, a well off person, to experience this before anybody even believed it was happening ..."
.

Cat In Seattle

[ritgar]

USDA - Food & Nutrition Service has a great program for feeding migrant farm-worker children. They should get together with the Dept of Education to take care of the feeding & education of some of these devistated children.

[3015551212]

That is a fantastic idea.

[3015551212]

Time for a massive demonstration? Perhaps the only way to get our voices heard would be to boycott shopping on Black Friday and show up on the steps of the Capitol instead.

Enough is enough. The homes that are sitting empty and being vandalized should be repossessed by our government and given back to the people. SOMETHING must be done NOW!

[airtyme]

uh oh! It looks like ACORN was just canned by the Census Bureau. What's next?

http://politicalintegritynow.com/2009/09/census-bureau-officially-cuts-all-ties-with-acorn-following-release-of-2-videos-in-recent-news/

[RadCenter]

off topic

[Johnowen]

Homeless schoolchildren in the richest nation on earth? Can this be true?

It is your country's shame.

[Sandy23]

I have been working with homeless families for the past 16 years. Our family shelter remains full. It is truly a tragedy, but unfortunately not new. It has been building over the past 30 years. We need housing that is affordable to very very low income families. Not likely to happen in this cynical climate.

[Deli]

In California, the Governor would rather spare Big Oil from taxes then help children. He just drastically cut social services with a line-item veto after the legislature thought it had a final negotiation. Our government here does not give a damn about social need. How could a goal-driven robot without a heart be expected to care.

[sandiegowoman]

Where did all the TARP money go that was supposed to stave off this round of forclosures? Where are the investigations on this? My daughter, a teacher, is being evicted on the 23rd after trying for one year to find out who owns her mortgage now! Balloon note went up to $3400 for a 1,000 sq ft house.

[omalley313]

This is despicable - can a class action law suit be filed against these banks for doing this ? Someone out there has to know how to fight back for the average american. I wish your daughter luck.

[rugbymom]

I hope she can snag a good lawyer. There's hope -- A number of judges (including Republican conservative ones) have stopped foreclosures because the entity trying to foreclose couldn't prove that it owned the note. This is law school 101 (Uniform Commercial Code) stuff. If she can't figure out who owns the mortgage, there's a good chance that the paperwork was not done right, and the judge may order the bank/mortgage holder/whoever shows up to stop long enough to straighten it out AND negotiate a more reasonable deal with her.

People need to stand together, stand tall, and force these financial "wizards" to play clean and play by the rules.

I'm also told that sometimes a call to one's Congresscritter can be helpful in cutting through red tape, especially if she may be a candidate for one of the Federal mortgage-r­enegotiati­on programs.