COFFEE FOR A CAUSE.
Ending homelessness, really?
Well, it might be a bit over zealous, but hey, that’s who I am.
Here’s the skinny: I’ve spent almost 4 years volunteering my time at a local family homeless shelter in Tacoma, WA tutoring elementary and middle school children of homeless families on a weekly basis. My time there was incredibly fulfilling - seeing so many families trying to move forward, and a wonderful organization helping them to do just that. During this time, I learned much about the Casualties of Homelessness and what I perceived to be the Catalyst for Change.
CASUALTIES OF HOMELESSNESS - The bottom line is that children of unhoused families are the true casualties of homelessness. You would be surprised at the number of children that are on the societal margins due to homelessness, it’s shocking (a National Center on Homelessness recent statistic notes 2.5 million homeless children nationwide). That said, my time tutoring these kids showed me their incredible resiliency in spite of their situation. Their academic ability, their work ethic, and their zest was awe-inspiring.
CATALYST FOR CHANGE - While the children are truly casualties of the epidemic, they are also an incredible catalyst for change. As a father of 5 kids, I found that the best motivation to improve myself always comes when my children are at stake. The same holds true for the epidemic of homelessness. While many homeless adults may not find the motivation, courage, or resources to dig themselves out of their situation - many times, when kids are involved, they lean on their parental motivation in order to seek help and remain there until they can re-enter society.
ART 2 END HOMELESSNESS SERVES TO BRING MUCH NEEDED FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO THE 50 MOST EFFECTIVE FAMILY SHELTERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES IN ORDER TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT THOSE THAT PROVIDE FOR THE MOST MOTIVATED AND MARGINALIZED SEGMENT OF THE HOMELESS POPULATION - UNHOUSED FAMILIES.
The Goal of Art 2 End Homelessness is to raise $1 MILLION in each state…..are you ready to partner?
So are we going to really end homelessness?
I’m not sure, but it doesn’t hurt to try.