Jezebel 
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New York, 10:49 AM
Sat Dec 19
73 posts in the last 24 hours
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03/10/09
Being homeless and going through the foster system (from 13 to 18 - I "aged out" of the foster system) were definitely the worst years of my life. The system really does chew you up and spit you out, and I suspect a lot of these kids are going to end up in the system, alone, bouncing from foster homes to group homes and back. I'm very lucky that my long-lost dad was contacted and I was able to live with him once I "aged out". Some of these kids may not be so lucky. My heart breaks for them.
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NINE.
I'd like to strongly urge everyone who feels passionately about this to get involved in tutoring programs in your town. If you're in DC, For Love of Children (www.floc.org) is a fantastic organization I've worked with for years, and a suprising percent of the students tutored would classify as homeless, if the definition includes "bouncing around between relatives" - which leads to things like going to 5 different elementary schools in 6 years. I'm sure NY and other major cities have similar programs. Tutoring does a lot to try and keep these kids from falling too far behind in school, and provides some stability.
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In general, it's considered best for every member of the family to stay together. The shelter I worked at was one of two large family shelters in the county, which meant we provided shelter to families of at least five people. These families have the biggest trouble finding shelter all together, and the shelters have a huge job, because they have to help parents, infants, toddlers, school age kids, teens...
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03/10/09
(brain gears... rusty)
03/10/09
But, I think that not very long ago these people weren't poor.
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ugh
03/10/09
I feel like volunteering (at homeless kitchens, etc...) and donations only help to a point... do you guys have any ideas?
03/10/09
03/10/09
he says they're just a bunch of rude, useless, privileged asshats.
Also, in one of my classes a group did a project on homelessness and they made the suggestion to "just go down to the shelter and talk to someone, get their perspective. You might learn something."
Ugh, NO! The shelter is not a fucking museum. Most of them are mentally ill or just trying to sleep and forget that they're in a shelter. They don't need you to bother them so you can feel better about yourself.
sorry, I guess I've internalized his ill will toward shelter volunteers. But if the shelter needs them and you are respectful, it could be ok I guess.
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03/10/09
There is very little in the world that is as depressing as homeless children. I spent the summer working with them, planning and running special summer programs and just hanging out with them. These kids ranged from good kids who made me smile every time I talked to them, to children with such issues that I didn't even know what to do. Children who never learned not to hit, kids who were so afraid of strangers that they never said a word to me all summer, kids who would lash out and cry and scream over any little thing. Homelessness hurts children. Badly.
Perhaps the worst thing, though, is how it affects their futures. One girl was sixteen, the second oldest of five with a sixth on the way. She was going to be in ninth grade the next year- it was unclear if this would be her first or second time in ninth grade. At sixteen years old, she was already behind. And here I was, this 'glamorous' college student, and she would tell me about how she wanted to be a doctor one day. I would do the best I could- tell her to work her ass off in school, that she'd have a lot of work ahead of her in college, but that she could achieve it if she wanted to. When I would get in the car at the end of those days, I just wanted to cry. I don't think she can do it, because her family situation is such a mess and limits her so much. I just don't see how it's possible.
03/10/09
My best friend works at the shelter as a case worker and the stories she tells me is beyond heart breaking.
She said the worst is when they have to kick entire families out of the shelter because of the mom or dad's bad choices. (If they fail a drug test they are kicked out) Just recently she had to kick a family of six out of the shelter because of a failed drug test. She said it's one of the hardest thing she's had to do in her life. I honestly couldn't imagine it.
Talking to her, and reading stories such as these makes me so incredibly grateful to have a some type of job security and an apartment I can afford. This could very easily be my daughter and I and it breaks my heart too pieces.
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03/10/09
You can read about it here: [www.thetaskforce.org]
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03/10/09
YES, it's 2009.
03/10/09
I work as a social worker, and i'm known as the LGBT caseworker because i actually take LGBT cases instead of firing them back to Children's Services. it's a shame but so many social workers here allow their religious biases to prevent kids from getting the help they need.
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No, I probably wouldn't punch them. But I certainly would throw some creative swears.
03/10/09
Not surprising but still horrifying. Someone needs to keep a list of those shelters... I'm assuming it's a lot of 'religious' ones that reject LGBT kids? Is it 'suspected' kids or ones who engaged in any kind of non-straight sexual behavior? This is a lovely class-action lawsuit waiting to happen.
03/10/09
Also, the homeless GLBT youth that have the most problems are transgender kids, who are, well, let's face it, easier to pick out than other queers.
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03/10/09
Seriously, though? It's so much fun, even if I hate putting the couch back together.
(ps you're not upside down, damnit!)
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When I hear people bitch and complain about socialist-pinko-programs-for-the-lazy and evil-universal-healthcare, I want to spit in their faces. 1.5 million homeless children are the net result of a greed-based government and economy.