Both hunger and homelessness are issues that some people in our cities deal with every day. November is National Homelessness Awareness Month, but Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week is an annual program where people come together across the country to draw attention to the problems of hunger and homelessness. Participating groups spend the week holding a series of educational, service, fundraising, and advocacy events.
Hunger and homelessness tend to go hand in hand. Even though our focus is typically on helping teens, when it comes to hunger and homelessness, we want to talk about ways to help families as well. This is what we will be talking about in this Monday Morning Blog.
November is National Homelessness Awareness Month
You may not see it, but homelessness is happening in our communities. And adults, teens and children are all affected. Even though the awareness week took place last week, the fact that Thanksgiving is coming up this week, brings to mind the help we can provide is needed all year round. Anytime we talk about awareness of an issue, it is for us to learn more about it and become aware of it.
According to the Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week website, no one should have to worry about whether they will have food on their plate or a roof over their head. But the reality is that hunger and homelessness are widespread problems that affect far too many people. Here are some statistics.
In the United States,
580,000
Americans are homeless on a typical night
44 million
Americans are at risk of suffering from hunger
When we think about how these issues affect families including teens and children, we need to find some ways to help them find solutions. Have you talked to your teen about hunger and homelessness? Do you or your teen know of someone who may be facing these challenges?
What can you do for others to battle hunger and homelessness?
Now that you are aware there’s a problem, want some ideas on how to help others? Some of these would be great things for you to do as a family or just with your teen. Doing something to help them will be a great way to make your teen aware and show them how far compassion for others can go. Here are some thoughts.
- You and your teen could serve a Thanksgiving meal and a local church or soup kitchen.
- My friend helps out at a food pantry to help others get the food they may need. Maybe this is something you and your teen could volunteer to do once a month.
- Donate food or money. My grocery store has a meal in a bag that can be purchased and then donated to one of the local food shelves.
- Set up a food drive at your workplace or school. Find a local food pantry to donate it to.
Do you know a teen who may be facing these challenges? Earlier this month, I featured a resource which works with teens who are experiencing this issue. Covenant House provides beds and meals for teens to help them get back on their feet. Here is a link to the post – Let’s Talk About a Teen Resource – Covenant House.
Check out other resources for help with this issue and many others that teens face on the Mentoring A Dream – Resources page.
The Streets Way by Selma P. Verde talks about Homelessness and Runaway Teens
Do you know about The Way Series? It’s a series of coming-of-age novels for teens and young adults about the challenges they face. The Street’s Way, the third book in The Way Series, is a continuation of the storyline in books one and two and focuses specifically on Teen Homelessness and Teen Runaways.
The Streets Way introduces a character to the storyline who is running away from home and a bad situation, Mikala Kalani. She arrived at the bus station in Manor City looking for a place to escape, believing it would be harder for them to find her in a big bustling city. One thing she didn’t think about was the dangers of being a homeless teen in a place she knows nothing about. Do you wonder how Mikala navigates being a teen runaway? Find out in The Streets Way.
Follow this link to Selma’s books tab to learn more about her series and to pick up your copy of The Streets Way or any of the other books in The Way Series!
