0 It’s Time to Help Homeless Kids, Yes! You! Now!

I often have the question put to me, “What can I do to help homeless families and/or teens?” Well, just in time for the holiday spirit, here are suggestions that range from free/fast to more complicated/commitment. I'm always pushing the concept of Compassion Epidemic. These are ways you can make that happen.

STUFF

Your local shelter (if you have any) will be happy to receive:

• packs of socks, undies for kids of all sizes/ages
• new/gently-used shoes, practical styles for school/play
• hygiene items (toothpaste, brushes, shampoo, soap, combs, etc.)
• coats, hats and gloves, especially for kids (assuming they serve kids)
• baby stuff—formula, diapers, wipes, etc.

If you don’t have a shelter, contact the homeless liaison in your school district (each district is required to have one). Ask that person what’s needed. They might suggest:

• band instruments, sports equipment, school/scout uniforms (gently-used)
• school supplies
• backpacks
• snack foods to discretely distribute to hungry kids
• bus passes

TIME

• Offer to read, tutor, or otherwise mentor kids. This requires a regular commitment of your time and the proper attitude. School or shelters.
• Volunteer at your local shelter. 
• Volunteer to tutor or read to kids at your local public school.

DONATE HELPFUL TOOLS TO YOUR SCHOOLS/SHELTERS/LIBRARIES

HEAR US has a selection of modestly-priced, acclaimed videos and books that greatly increase awareness and compassion for homeless students. Many schools aren’t aware of them, or lack the funds, or…whatever. You can be the conduit for these items, and here’s the order form. (Plus, this supports HEAR US!)

ADVOCACY—ACTION!

• Sign the petition that goes right to your Members of Congress, urging them to cosponsor the Homeless Children and Youth Act. Takes just seconds, only need to share your zip code. 
• Share the above petition with your networks of friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. 
• Invite me to speak to your community, university, group, etc. Yup. Ask. Let’s see what happens! 
• Share my Facebook posts with your FB friends. Comment. Friend me. 

Notice I didn't put any suggestions about holiday gifts or activities. That's because of my years running shelters and going crazy at holiday time with overabundance, while suffering through the drought of scarcities during the rest of the year. I won't inflict that similar pain on others. Do as you want for holidays. You will anyhow. And I didn't make a big deal about donating to HEAR US, but you can do that and we'll be very appreciative.

This is just the beginning of a list that you can add to by commenting on this blog. Yeah, share this blog, too. ’Tis (always) the season to be kind…!

Detail: It’s Time to Help Homeless Kids, Yes! You! Now!

0 The 'Old' Days vs. the New Days of Homelessness

I'm a diane-a-saur when it comes to homelessness. I've been around this "field" for a long time--since the mid '80s. My current effort, HEAR US Inc., is a pretty unique little endeavor that's making an impact, but I digress. When I think I've seen it all, I get surprised. Like this week....

One of my favorite journalists, Kathy Millen, did a great piece on our new documentary, "on the edge," an intense look at lives of 7 women who experienced homelessness. Kathy came to one of our screenings, basing her story on what she saw. To no surprise, she did a fantastic job, and this chain of local papers ran the story in different areas.

Kathy forwarded me a message she received from a woman who, with husband and 2 young babies, is homeless. I found myself wanting to go talk with her. Then I discovered they're staying outside NYC. She picked up Kathy's story on the Web, something we didn't have back in the old days. The mom and I have been exchanging emails, and I've been able to give her info about her son's rights to register in school, ala the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act.

Facebook also factors into my different world. More than once I'm surprised at who finds me. Yesterday, a woman asked to "friend" me. Her name sounded familiar, from my days of working in Joliet where I got my feet wet in this world of homelessness. I asked, and yup, it was the same family. The girl, 20+ years later, is a mom, studying to be an addictions counselor. Cool! 

Good ol' Facebook, the intrusion into my life I often grumble about, also connected me with a mom with 5 little boys that I met out west. Mom is struggling mightily, not doing as well as she/I'd like, but still trying. Her cell phone's died from lack of money. So she gets on the computer at the library, and I heard from her. A flurry of FB messages between us makes me feel like she's going to get reconnected with the school. A good thing....

And the woman who contacted Kathy, then communicated with me via email, shared her story. I've written my weekly post on Change.org, Poverty in America about her situation. It's scheduled to run Friday. Check out my post from last Friday and share it.

I've heard from a grandmother in Houston who found the HEAR US website as she searched for a way to help her 8-year old granddaughter who had been wrongly kicked out of school. We emailed, talked, and she watched our amazing REACH video that explains the homeless education law. That empowered her to get the little girl back in school the next day. Oh yeah!!

Then we have the HEAR US Compassion Epidemic. Never would I believe that I'd be a regular website editor, changing pages as information changes. I don't do the greatest job keeping up, but you'll always find something of interest on our CE page, as well as the rest of the HEAR US website. 

Seems to me the world of homelessness services and resources needs to do a major upgrade. The same-old-same-old ain't cutting it. Just check the HEAR US "Homelessness in the News" page (that needs some updating). And I know some people are really keeping up with things changing even better than I am--my almost 90-year old Mom will surely comment on my diane-a-saur status. What's older than a dinosaur?!

Detail: The 'Old' Days vs. the New Days of Homelessness

0 Frustrating Flood of Families

This emergency shelter offers some privacy--albeit limited--which lets families stay together in a cubicle. Too much stuff for the limited space, an unnatural schedule dependent on the shelter's staffing (always too skimpy), and the overall environment can bring out the worst in families that might also struggle to function "normally" for many reasons.

Of the many years I ran shelters I saw way too many homeless families. It was not pretty. They came because of need, and dysfunction reigned--on the part of our shelter program and the family's circumstances.

I'm as guilty as the next service provider for indulging in a survival-mode (mine) method of operation which rarely gave me the opportunity to consider the whole person sitting before me (rarely did we get to sit).

One horrible consequence of this type of interaction is that the family, adults and kids, gets into a survival mode too. They carry their baggage--the reasons for their homelessness--with them, and seeing their behaviors it makes it easy to judge: lazy, assistance-dependent, drug addict, smoker, poor parent, etc.

Some of those behaviors might be accurate, as far as that goes, and most will admit their faults if you have time to ask, but these beleaguered parents have much more to their story. It's that story we're trying to capture as we film On the Edge.

Homeless families (and unaccompanied teens) represent a wholesale failure of our nation's approach to ending homelessness and addressing poverty. Instead of a safety net, the families find a band-aid system--at best. Some communities don't even have shelters or their shelters sit empty because of lack of funds.

By the time families get to a structured program they've been mauled by well-intentioned (I'm making a generous assumption) system which may treat the surface problems but does little for the human being bearing the weight of the world. Unfortunately it's gone on for so long that these problems encompass generations.

I'm not condemning well-intentioned workers--I'm including myself in this criticism. The system isn't set up (normally) to really take care of families with their myriad needs. Their needs come from some serious stuff which may include any/all of the following: sexual abuse, physical abuse, which often result in alcohol/drug use; domestic violence that went on too long; limited intellectual capacity; untreated and chronic physical and/or mental health problems; financial disaster, high mobility, dysfunctional family network, etc. All of these challenges require more than band-aids.

So we set up a system that inspires failure by all but the lucky/strong and we wonder why we have a mess?

What I fear is that our ability to maintain compassion becomes compromised by our limited resources to help people with complicated needs. Our frustration is fueled by the seemingly hopeless situation. We run the risk of blaming the victims for their problems and that makes it easy to cast them in the trash heap.

Seems to me that it's better for us as individuals and a nation to nurture a compassion epidemic. The multitude of families--adults and children--we've met and interviewed are amazing for many reasons. They've survived and they are more humane than some persons who are supposed to be helping them. Looks like we could learn from some true homelessness experts. What happens if we give up?

Detail: Frustrating Flood of Families

0 Looking at Progress (?) In DC???

Six months ago people thought it was hopeless to try to turn Congress around on the issue of the homelessness definition. For those just joining us, the issue has been that HUD, the federal agency overseeing housing and homelessness, has for the past several years focused on "chronic homelessness" which greatly limits help for kids and families (Congressional Quarterly article).

Word from "a little bird" in DC indicates forward movement for those of us who believe we need to address homeless families and unaccompanied teens STAT!

HEAR US has been part of this campaign, with our Piggies Action, a simple way to nudge your congresspersons. Well, the piggies get the message across. More people are needed to take a few moments to do this little activity.

Why?

Seems to me that we're due for a victory for the little people. Over nation's 1.5 million homeless kids in our country sure qualify as little people. When we can start caring about "the least among us" (not that I consider homeless kids "the least" but they sure lack power and importance) then maybe we're ready to turn a corner on this compassion epidemic I keep hoping for....

Photos c Pat Van Doren, used with permission

Detail: Looking at Progress (?) In DC???