What's New with the Campaign to End Child Homelessness |
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August 18, 2009: Update on the Campaign. Click here to read the August 2009 Campaign Newsletter. August 12, 2009: Teen Walks 1,100 Miles to Increase Awareness of Homeless Children 14 year-old David Ashby is spending his summer vacation walking from his home in Orlando, Florida, to Washington D.C. to raise awareness about the struggles of homeless kids. Along the way, David has been staying at homeless shelters and speaking with homeless children. Follow David on his blog. August 6, 2009: Campaign to End Child Homelessness Supports Legislation to Establish an Interagency Council on Homelessness in California The National Center on Family Homelessness and the Campaign to End Child Homelessness are pleased to endorse California Assembly Bill 1177, which would establish an Interagency Council on Homelessness in California. The establishment of an Interagency Council is an important step in demonstrating the state's commitment to ending homelessness and will help to encourage collaboration between the ten California agencies administering programs affecting people who are homeless. The approval and implementation of a California Interagency Council would contribute significantly towards the fight to end child homelessness in the state. Thank you to Assemblymember Paul Fong for introducing this important initiative. The Campaign eagerly anticipates the passage of this resolution! Learn more about Assembly Bill 1177. July 9, 2009: Update on the Campaign Click here to read the July 2009 Campaign Newsletter July 2, 2009: Op-ed by Ellen Bassuk about Homeless Children in Massachusetts June 25, 2009: Campaign to End Child Homelessness Endorses Resolution on Children’s Right to Housing The Campaign is pleased to endorse a resolution recently introduced in the US House of Representatives (House Resolution 582) supporting the right to housing for all children. According to America’s Youngest Outcasts, one in 50, or 1.5 million children, is homeless in the United States each year. The Campaign believes, as stated in the resolution, that each of these children has a right to be housed together with their families. Children experiencing homelessness are sicker and hungrier than other children, are more likely to have delayed development and learning disabilities, and have three times the rate of emotional and behavioral problems. Stable, safe and affordable housing must be recognized as a fundamental right for all children to help ensure they have the support they need to become healthy, productive adults. Thank you to Representative Maxine Waters and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty for introducing this important resolution. The Campaign whole heartedly endorses the right of all children to housing! Learn more about the resolution. June 5, 2009: Ellen Bassuk, President of the National Center on Family Homelessness, featured in the trailer for The Homeless Child: A Documentary Film. June 1, 2009: Update on the Campaign A letter from Ellen Bassuk and Christina Jordan. April 23, 2009: Oscar singing sensation Jamia dedicates "Time for Us" to Campaign to End Child Homelessness. April 20, 2009: Author of new Wall Street Journal bestseller, The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide, donates all royalties to Campaign to End Child Homelessness. March 24, 2009: President Obama comments on America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness, declaring, "it is not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads." March 10, 2009: America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness Released. The National Center on Family Homelessness kicked off the Campaign to End Child Homelessness to a standing-room only crowd at a March 10th Congressional Briefing in Washington, DC. Senator Robert P. Casey of Pennsylvania and Dr. Ellen Bassuk, President of the National Center on Family Homelessness, announced the release of America's Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness. Audience members included Congressional staff, government agency representatives, members of the philanthropic community, and advocates from around the country. Senator Casey, who chairs the Advisory Board to the Campaign to End Child Homelessness, underscored the urgency of this national crisis. “This report shows the staggering reality that one in 50 children in America is homeless. I urge my fellow citizens to read this report and let the magnitude of this problem sink in. We must come together to help prevent even one child from wondering where he or she will lay their head at night.” Gloria Guard, President of People's Emergency Center (PEC) in Philadelphia, PA, followed with a call to assess and support families’ needs that extend beyond shelter. She emphasized that supportive services are critical ingredients to help parents get back on their feet. “Today we celebrate the first giant step towards…prevent[ing] future homelessness by addressing the needs of today’s homeless children. And make no mistake: research shows that today’s homeless children will very likely be tomorrow’s homeless adults.” Rasheda Alexander, a formerly homeless PEC client, then shared her story of moving from a life marked by poverty and violence to one of hope and safety. After fleeing an abusive relationship, Ms. Alexander explained that the shelter “became a safe haven for my daughter and me. I was scared…when I first arrived. As time passed, I became open to the services that [the shelter] was providing. On August 1, 2008, I obtained permanent housing. For the first time, I had a home of my own. I knew that my daughter and I would be okay.” Dr. Bassuk encouraged people to join the Campaign to End Child Homelessness. “It is unacceptable for a child to be homeless for even one night. Ending child homelessness is within our reach, but we must act now before it becomes a permanent part of our national landscape. Join the conversation. Be part of the solution.” |
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