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Click here to read the December 2009 Campaign Newsletter. December 3, 2009: Massachusetts Campaign: Homeless for the Holidays State budget woes in Massachusetts are a cause for concern for homeless advocates and providers during the holiday season. In a December 3 press release, the Massachusetts Campaign to End Child Homelessness urged Governor Deval Patrick and legislative leaders to remember those most in need this holiday season: homeless children and their families. Continued state support for critical housing, support services, and access to early childhood education is imperative for these families. Read the press release. Find out how to take action in your state and community. December 3, 2009: A Night to End Child Homelessness The National Center on Family Homelessness hosted "A Night to End Child Homelessness," an event to raise awareness and funds for the Campaign to End Child Homelessness. The Honorable Kerry Murphy Healey, former Lt. Governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007), chaired the event at The Colony in Palm Beach, Florida. The evening's presenting sponsor, Martin D. Weiss of The Weiss Group of Jupiter, FL, is the author of New York Times bestseller "The Ultimate Depression Survival Guide" and a generous contributor to the Campaign to End Child Homelessness. Carole Rome Crist, First Lady of Florida, participated in the event and presented awards to Sue Lemieux of The Weiss School, Christopher Kennedy of Suffolk Construction and Martin Weiss of The Weiss Group. Watch the Florida Campaign to End Child Homelessness Video. November 17, 2009: Florida Campaign to End Child Homelessness Listening Tour Begins On November 17 and 18, Campaign to End Child Homelessness staff traveled to Florida to launch a listening tour. During the first two tour stops in Palm Beach and Miami, more than 50 homeless service providers, children's advocates, and community leaders came out to share their knowledge and experiences. The purpose of the listening tour is to learn more about what homeless children and families experience in Florida, identify agencies and coalitions working to address this issue, and develop partnerships and action plans to help end child homelessness in the state. The next stop on the tour was on December 4 in Tallahassee. November 16, 2009: Update on the Campaign. Click here to read the November 2009 Campaign Newsletter. November 6, 2009: New Mexico Campaign to End Child Homelessness Jeff Olivet of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness facilitated a strategic planning meeting in Albuquerque with children’s advocates, homeless service providers, and state and elected officials from across New Mexico. Thirty-five attendees met to plan and to implement the New Mexico Campaign to End Child Homelessness. The Campaign’s next step will be to join with partners to plan a statewide summit on child homelessness for the spring. We would like to thank the following partners for their support in planning this event: Albuquerque Health Care for the Homeless, Albuquerque Public Schools Title I Homeless Project, Center for Social Innovation, Cuidando Los Ninos, New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness and New Mexico Voices for Children. November 3, 2009: Georgia Homeless Youth Summit Christina Jordan of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness was a featured speaker at the 2009 Homeless Youth Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. The Summit, sponsored by the Georgia Coalition to End Homelessness, focused on the plight of homeless children and youth in Georgia, and provided an opportunity for providers and advocates to share strategies for action. Christina presented the data from our report , America’s Youngest Outcasts and collected information and suggestions for the Georgia Campaign from participants. We look forward to being part of the Coalition’s statewide summit in March November 2, 2009: Website Re-Launch The Campaign to End Child Homelessness celebrated the re-launch of our website, www.HomelessChildrenAmerica.org. Reorganized to better reflect our state-based work, it is now easy to learn what is going on in your state to end child homelessness and keep track of the Campaign's national activities. Check out the "State Reports" page to learn where your state ranks on addressing child homelessness, read recent news coverage and review updates on Campaign events on your state's blog. October 29, 2009: 2009 Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition Summit Katie Volk of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness presented on our publication, America's Youngest Outcasts, at the 2009 Kansas Statewide Homeless Coalition Summit. October 26, 2009: The Campaign Travels to Florida Christina Jordan of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness presented at the 3rd Annual Florida Homeless and Supportive Housing Conference sponsored by the Florida Supportive Housing Coalition and the Florida Coalition for the Homeless. During the conference, Christina collected Campaign ideas and suggestions from homeless service providers, children's advocacy organizations and community leaders. She also presented recommendations related to homeless children to the Florida Council on Homelessness. We congratulate the Council on its on-going work and its new Children's Committee. We look forward to continuing to work with the Council on behalf of homeless families. October 26, 2009: Massachusetts Campaign to End Child Homelessness Last month, the state of Massachusetts announced that it faced an estimated $600 million budget gap for FY10. The Massachusetts Campaign to End Child Homelessness sent a letter to Governor Deval Patrick on October 26, 2009, urging him to keep the needs of children and families who are homeless in mind while reviewing FY10 spending reductions. With more budget cuts expected before the end of the year, the Campaign will continue working with our Massachusetts partners to highlight the importance of shelter and services for homeless children and families. Read the letter. October 26, 2009: Campaign Provides Testimony to United Nations The Campaign to End Child Homelessness gave testimony to Raquel Rolnik, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Housing in Washington, D.C. The Special Rapporteur was appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council to examine housing in the United States. Ms. Rolnik has been traveling across the U.S. to learn from organizations, advocates and officials and will make recommendations based on what she learns. The National Center on Family Homelessness testimony focused on homeless children and families. Children experiencing homelessness are more likely than their peers to be sick, struggle in school, and experience high rates of violence and trauma. The testimony recommended that all levels of government work together to provide adequate, affordable housing and address issues of income, trauma, health care, education and support services, along with research and planning. Read the testimony. October 22, 2009: Update on the Campaign. Click here to read the October 2009 Campaign Newsletter. October 19, 2009: United States Interagency Council - October Update Christina Jordan of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness joined a group of homeless advocates at a meeting of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness to present joint recommendations for developing a federal plan to end homelessness. Secretaries Shaun Donovan, Kathleen Sebelius, Hilda Solis and Eric Shinseki, as well as many high level staff from the Obama Administration, were in attendance. Secretary Donovan reported on the increasing numbers of homeless children and families. The Campaign looks forward to continuing to work with the Council to ensure the federal plan addresses the unique needs of children and families who are homeless. October 16, 2009: Massachusetts Campaign to End Child Homelessness Leaders from the Massachusetts Campaign to End Child Homelessness gathered to urge continued state and federal support for critical housing and supportive services for homeless families. With more than 17,500 children already homeless in Massachusetts annually, further spending cuts due to the state's budget shortfall could increase this number. National advocate Diane Nilan of the HEAR US Learning Curve Express joined the Massachusetts advocates as part of her national tour to raise awareness about homeless children and families. The Massachusetts Campaign to End Child Homelessness is a coalition of organizations that includes The National Center on Family Homelessness, Homes for Families, Horizons for Homeless Children and the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. Read the press release. Watch the NECN media coverage. October 13, 2009: The Campaign Travels to Arkansas Christina Jordan of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas to meet with homeless service providers, children's advocacy organizations and community leaders to begin laying the groundwork for the Arkansas Campaign to End Child Homelessness. According to America's Youngest Outcasts, there are 18,852 homeless children in Arkansas. The Campaign will continue to work with local leaders in Arkansas towards our mutual goal of ending child homelessness. October 8, 2009: The Campaign Supports Establishing a California Interagency Council on Homelessness Earlier this year, the Campaign, in coordination with Housing California, worked to support legislation in California to establish a California Interagency Council on Homelessness. Efforts to pass the bill stalled in the state Legislature, and advocates are now working to convince Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to use his executive power to create the Interagency Council. The Campaign believes a California Interagency Council is a critical step in demonstrating the state's commitment to ending homelessness. September 24, 2009: Update on the Campaign. Click here to read the September 2009 Campaign Newsletter. September 16, 2009: The Campaign Travels to Kentucky Katie Volk of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness was invited to meet with the Kentucky Interagency Council on Homelessness and to participate as the keynote speaker at a statewide summit sponsored by the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky. During her presentation, Katie discussed the findings from America's Youngest Outcasts and provided an overview of the Campaign to 250 summit attendees. The Campaign will continue to partner with local community leaders in Kentucky towards our mutual goal of ending child homelessness. September 10, 2009: U.S. Census Bureau Releases Report on Poverty Indicators The United States Census Bureau released their annual report: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2008. This data is significant because it has been collected since the beginning of the current economic recession. According to the report, the number of people living in poverty increased by 2.5 million, from 37.3 million in 2007 to 39.8 million people in 2008. During the same time period, the real median household income fell 3.6%. Not surprisingly, these indicators correspond with reports of increases in the number of homeless children, as more families and individuals have had difficulty finding and maintaining housing over the past two years. Read additional coverage on homelessness and the recession. September 2, 2009: United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Christina Jordan of the Campaign to End Child Homelessness joined a group of homeless advocates in meeting with Peter Dougherty, the acting executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, along with key agency staff from the Departments of Housing, Labor, and Health and Human Services. The discussion focused on the creation and implementation of a federal plan to end homelessness, mandated by legislation passed this spring. The Campaign will continue to work with the Interagency Council and the homeless advocates group to help create and implement the plan, and ensure the plan responds to the unique needs of homeless children and families. 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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