"God Bless the Child..."

We are accustomed to seeing people standing on the side of the street holding signs asking for work or some kind of assistance. We have viewed pictures of people sleeping on sidewalks or park benches. These images usually come to mind when we hear the word “homeless.” “Homeless” has many definitions. A person or a family may be experiencing homelessness because of a personal or family tragedy; perhaps economic reasons have led to this temporary condition; or maybe a loss of family stability has contributed to a mother and her children seeking shelter.

When you think of the face of a homeless person, do you ever think of the face of a child? According to a study published in Newsweek, 1 out of every 30 children in America has experienced homelessness in 2013. This graphic shows the sad growth of this unfortunate situation.

The Mahoning Valley is not immune from the impact of this national trend. So far in August, the average number of children who are housed in our emergency shelter is 16 – with 22 children in the house this past weekend. This is not LA, San Francisco, Chicago or New York. But proportionality, the situation is similar.

Homelessness is often a family affair. And remember, some of the children you see getting on or off the school bus will do their homework at a homeless shelter.