A huge topic in New York City right now that stands directly in our path is homelessness. It is at an all time high, and many homeless people may take refuge in the same warm subway car and places that our kids frequent during the winter. How do we explain it all, and talk about it with our children in a way that makes sense? Here is a homeless fact sheet from the National Coalition for the Homeless, that can help. It’s designed for second graders, but is great for us parents to read in order to explain things to kids of all ages.
For instance:
“What does a homeless person look like?”
Homeless people do not look any different than you or I. It does not matter what color your skin is, where you live, if you are a boy or a girl, or how old you are. Anyone can be homeless. Homeless people are just like us—they grew up with a mom and dad, brothers, sisters, and friends. Some even went to elementary school just like you and learned some of the same things
“Can only adults be homeless, or are there homeless children too?”
Not every homeless person is by themselves. Some homeless people have families and children. These children could look just like you, but they do not live like you do. They do not have a warm bed to sleep in or their own room to play in. They do not have their own toys, and they cannot have friends over to play at their house or have a sleepover. Their lives are very different from yours but they are still kids just like you!
Please take the time to read this website about the issue.
- In recent years, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
- Over the course of the last City fiscal year (FY 2015), more than 109,000 different homeless men, women, and children sleep in the New York City municipal shelter system. This includes nearly 42,000 different homeless New York City children.
- The number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping each night in municipal shelters is now 86 percent higher than it was ten years ago.
Please, this holiday consider donating your time at a number of homeless shelters. Here is one example.
Rebecca Conroy is an artist, stylist, and Editor of A Child Grows in Brooklyn. She is from New York City, and has an MFA from Columbia University in screenwriting. Rebecca often finds herself on film and photography sets making things run or look better, and is the mom of two outrageously wonderful kids.