How can we let children be homeless in this wonderful country?

Question

I have become involved with an organization that is trying to help homeless families. Many people are one paycheck or credit card away from being homeless. The option we are working towards are filling the empty sunday school classrooms in churches and letting families stay in them during the week, giving a family a room gives them their own space to regroup and with support get back on their feet. Once you get into the homeless world you find children are the victims. The older children become angry and embarrased by first being poor and then by being homeless. We are trying to give them shelter and support to get back on their feet.Most shelters are not designed for families, they have womens shelters that also house children but it becomes a problem if they have a son over 12, because he can not stay in most womans shelters. For me, its the kids and we have to keep families together

Answer 1

This reminds me of something I heard on the news last week: the average age of a homeless person in the US is NINE. Is there anything more outrageous than the sheer volume of homeless children in this nation? I doubt it. It's just another sign of how people have become cold, heartless, and self-serving: it appears that most Americans would rather see people, including children, starve in alleys than demand that our tax dollars address the problem. Americans talk a lot about family values, but the last several years have shown that people are much more willing to let the government spend money on bombing other peoples' children rather than educating and feeding our own. You can tell the true greatness of a nation by how its most disadvantaged members live: by this standard, our country is woefully lacking.

Thank you for being a participant in the health of our society; thank you for showing up and performing a service for our nation: thank you for being a volunteer.

Answer 2

Are we talking prevention or damage control? In terms of prevention, we need to make sure that every pubescent child knows how to prevent unwanted pregnancies under any circumstances, because impoverished children frequently become homeless children.
We need to made education manadatory until the age of adulthood. Only an adult should have the ability to make a decision which could render him or her thusly handicapped in the workplace, and dropping out of high school is such a decision.
We need to de-emphasize materialism and encourage durability, so families feel more pressured to buy items that last instead of trendy items. In short, we need to take a break from being Americans.

Answer 3

volunteering is good, except for over sensitive people. If you are of faint heart or feel overwhelmed with their problems, then donate money instead. What you see is a world problem. We can't solve everything as there's not enough volunteers, money, or people knowing how to solve their own problems. I suggest that if you want to stay in that that you also teach besides showing support. People often fall thru the cracks and can't reach assistance or if they reach assistance then they don't know what to do with it or don't know how to rise above that. Make sure that 12 year old boy does not join a gang; get him interested in sports. You can't save everyone. But it's a good thing that you're trying.

Answer 4

We do because we send millions over to other countries and ignore our own homeless..It is a shame... Especially when it tears up a home for children --I don't care if they are older than 12, he is still just a kid... Jr high age, still needs his mom...It's just terrible that we have so many... Probably started when the landlords were given the right to charge whatever they wanted to for rent... Biggest issue in Massachusetts... Too high !!

Answer 5

Wonderful question and a difficult task, but with people like you involved we will get closer to a solution. This needs to be a priority for Congress, not Iraq. We need to take care of our own first and then if we can help someone else, fine!

Answer 6

Maybe you can get the Church's together and make a family shelter. You can then help out all people that need it.

Answer 7

Dear florence,
i feel you strong! Families should hold on to each other no matter what, so i just wanna say that keep them at church because itll give them the strength and courage to get up on there feet, so
i fully support you!
-Rubi

Answer 8

Greed and governemnt spends more money internationally then on its own cititzens(example money spent on iraq war and rebuilding) I think 20 billion could build tons of homes for people. Just my practical view. Building the homes would create jobs also and create more money in the economy.

Answer 9

Becaue of the Bush Administration all of the money goes to the insane War in Iraq!! that money could be put to good use right here . help your fellow americans out do not throw money away in that crazy War!!!

Answer 10

Becuse the government is to busy trying to clean up other countries back yards instead of trying to clean our own.