As you know, in the spirit of community service, Colman Knight adopted six children and two parents from the House of Hope, a family shelter in Lowell, MA, this holiday season. Our motivation for choosing this area of outreach stems from disturbing statistics about the Homeless population.
A recent report from the Department of Housing and Urban Development indicated that the number of homeless people in shelters and living on the streets in Massachusetts has risen 14 percent since 2010 to nearly 20,000 in January 2013, even as homelessness has declined nationally. The problems have been compounded by the dramatic federal spending cuts, which have decreased housing and food subsidies.
More troubling are the findings regarding homeless children. Each year, over 1.5 million of our nation’s children go to sleep without a home. This figure represents 1 out of every 50 children. Children experiencing homelessness are 4 times more likely to show delayed development and 2 times more likely to develop learning disabilities. By age 12, 83% of homeless children have been exposed to at least one serious violent act. Almost 25% of these children witness acts of violence within their families. 1,000 families (including 1,400 children) can’t find space in emergency shelters.
While our gesture to support these children is moderate, we endeavor to make these children’s holidays a little brighter by fulfilling their wish list. CLICK HERE to go to our Wish List Page and choose your gift. We deeply appreciate the generosity of our clients so far!
To learn more about The House of Hope, CLICK HERE to visit their website. The original mission statement of the House of Hope, written in 1985, was and continues to be: “The House of Hope, a temporary shelter, provides advocacy and care for homeless families. Rooted in a belief in God, and under the direction of an ecumenical board, it seeks to affirm the dignity of life to all who are served.”
With our humble gesture and acknowledgement of good fortune, we recognize this endeavor will not change the epidemic of homelessness, but we can touch the hearts of a few precious beings. Thank you for joining us in the practice of generosity and hope.
