Post by Modesto Anarcho on Mar 10, 2009 16:14:00 GMT -5
National child homeless rate hits home in Central Valley
By Cynthia Hubert and Sue Nowicki
McClatchy Newspapers
In and out of classrooms, sleeping in shelters, shielded by parents, homeless children can seem invisible to society at large.
A national study released Monday finds that 1 in 50 children in the United States is homeless. They're sharing housing because of economic hardship, living in motels, cars, abandoned buildings, parks, campgrounds or shelters, or waiting for foster care placement.
"That is something that I don't think most people intuitively believe to be true," said Ellen Bassuk, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and president of the National Center on Family Homelessness.
homeless children
Modesto Bee photo by Debbie Noda - A recent study reveals more children are experiencing homelessness. At left, Genie Garcia, with one of her four children, Jessy Garcia,10, who says that being homeless is aggravating and not fun. They are staying at the women's shelter at The Gospel Mission in Modesto, March 9, 2009.
The national center last did such a report 10 years ago, and numbers of children without a permanent place to sleep are growing.
Herb Opalek, chief executive officer of the Merced County Rescue Mission and president of the Pacific District of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, which has 72 in California, said there's no doubt the number of homeless children is on the rise.
"In speaking to directors all across California, they're all seeing an increase in (homeless) children," he said Monday. "We just had a discussion about this last week."
At the Modesto Gospel Mission, Barbara Deatherage agreed that numbers of homeless children are up.
"We participate in a snapshot survey every year for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions," she said. "This last year, I noticed that our percentage of homeless under 18 was substantially higher than our national average."
She was out of town Monday and couldn't give specific numbers. But, she said: "What we are seeing a really big increase in is those resourcing our community distribution center for clothing and food. We probably see 2,000 to 3,000 people a month now. We also have an increase in the number of children coming to have dinner with their families."
On Monday, Genie Garcia and her four children were getting ready for the shelter's 5 p.m. dinner.
Garcia said she first ended up homeless in 2007 and has bounced around since then, staying with family, friends and at the Gospel Mission's women and children's shelter.
She receives $555 monthly in cash assistance, not enough to rent an apartment big enough for her family, she said.
"I wish there were more people that would help you, instead of just judge you on how many kids you have," said Garcia.
'Kind of not understandable'
Her 10-year-old twins, Tammy and Jessy, have different takes on their situation. The sisters are fifth-graders at a Modesto elementary school.
Tammy called being homeless "like living in the wild." But she said she likes meeting new people and friends at the shelter. The beds there are comfortable, Tammy said, especially when she sleeps with her teddy bear.
Jessy said the upheaval in her family's life is "aggravating" and "not fun." She only talks to her best friend about it. "It's kind of not understandable," said Jessy.
Maris Sturtevant is chief operating officer of the United Samaritans Foundation, which feeds people throughout Stanislaus County and provides services to homeless people in Turlock.
"I couldn't define how many more children are homeless, but there are more people using the services of our trucks and our lunch program than before," she said.
"In 2007, we served 408,000 lunches. In 2008, we served 422,000. So, a big increase. We're certainly seeing an increase in our emergency food boxes, too."
In Merced County, Opalek said: "We used to have four or five children come for breakfast every morning. Now there can be anywhere from 12 to 20. You see more of them in the (homeless) camps out here.
Pictures of growing tent city in Sacramento: www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/06/18575333.php
By Cynthia Hubert and Sue Nowicki
McClatchy Newspapers
In and out of classrooms, sleeping in shelters, shielded by parents, homeless children can seem invisible to society at large.
A national study released Monday finds that 1 in 50 children in the United States is homeless. They're sharing housing because of economic hardship, living in motels, cars, abandoned buildings, parks, campgrounds or shelters, or waiting for foster care placement.
"That is something that I don't think most people intuitively believe to be true," said Ellen Bassuk, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and president of the National Center on Family Homelessness.
homeless children
Modesto Bee photo by Debbie Noda - A recent study reveals more children are experiencing homelessness. At left, Genie Garcia, with one of her four children, Jessy Garcia,10, who says that being homeless is aggravating and not fun. They are staying at the women's shelter at The Gospel Mission in Modesto, March 9, 2009.
The national center last did such a report 10 years ago, and numbers of children without a permanent place to sleep are growing.
Herb Opalek, chief executive officer of the Merced County Rescue Mission and president of the Pacific District of the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions, which has 72 in California, said there's no doubt the number of homeless children is on the rise.
"In speaking to directors all across California, they're all seeing an increase in (homeless) children," he said Monday. "We just had a discussion about this last week."
At the Modesto Gospel Mission, Barbara Deatherage agreed that numbers of homeless children are up.
"We participate in a snapshot survey every year for the Association of Gospel Rescue Missions," she said. "This last year, I noticed that our percentage of homeless under 18 was substantially higher than our national average."
She was out of town Monday and couldn't give specific numbers. But, she said: "What we are seeing a really big increase in is those resourcing our community distribution center for clothing and food. We probably see 2,000 to 3,000 people a month now. We also have an increase in the number of children coming to have dinner with their families."
On Monday, Genie Garcia and her four children were getting ready for the shelter's 5 p.m. dinner.
Garcia said she first ended up homeless in 2007 and has bounced around since then, staying with family, friends and at the Gospel Mission's women and children's shelter.
She receives $555 monthly in cash assistance, not enough to rent an apartment big enough for her family, she said.
"I wish there were more people that would help you, instead of just judge you on how many kids you have," said Garcia.
'Kind of not understandable'
Her 10-year-old twins, Tammy and Jessy, have different takes on their situation. The sisters are fifth-graders at a Modesto elementary school.
Tammy called being homeless "like living in the wild." But she said she likes meeting new people and friends at the shelter. The beds there are comfortable, Tammy said, especially when she sleeps with her teddy bear.
Jessy said the upheaval in her family's life is "aggravating" and "not fun." She only talks to her best friend about it. "It's kind of not understandable," said Jessy.
Maris Sturtevant is chief operating officer of the United Samaritans Foundation, which feeds people throughout Stanislaus County and provides services to homeless people in Turlock.
"I couldn't define how many more children are homeless, but there are more people using the services of our trucks and our lunch program than before," she said.
"In 2007, we served 408,000 lunches. In 2008, we served 422,000. So, a big increase. We're certainly seeing an increase in our emergency food boxes, too."
In Merced County, Opalek said: "We used to have four or five children come for breakfast every morning. Now there can be anywhere from 12 to 20. You see more of them in the (homeless) camps out here.
Pictures of growing tent city in Sacramento: www.indybay.org/newsitems/2009/03/06/18575333.php