Putting a perspective on Homelessness...

Tonight was the Children's Choir Musical, and wanting to support our kids and our children's ministry team I attended though I did not have children performing and really don't know any of the children that were either...Well I came away with my eyes opened or should I say re-opened.

We all know in 2008 here in the USA the housing market hit a wall and the economy went belly up...We all know in the back of our minds that this created homelessness...But 2008 was so long ago and as each of us has faced our own struggles to make ends meet and keep a roof over our own heads, we forget how lucky we truly are...If you are reading this you have a home, you have electricity, you have food.

So many that are homeless it is not because of anything they did or did not do...Today's homelessness is real and it is effecting not just individuals but whole families..

How much harder is it for those homeless that have children...How hard is it for the children to look towards the future when their basic needs are not being meet today...Through no fault of their parents these kids are experiencing hardships in life that is this day, in this country is crazy...Unemployment is like a cancer and minimum wage does not cover the basic costs of living, with oil prices rising, so is the cost of food...People are having to choose between eating or paying the rent/or morgage...

Now I knew that there was a few kids here in our town that are classified as "homeless"...I have heard about via my eldest daughters school last year...But we live in a small rural community...how bad could it be...

When my daughter graduated in 2010 it was a graduating class of 107 students...The student body is made up from kids from 3 small towns...Now here is the perspective that slapped me in the face...there are over 200 homeless CHILDREN in our county (that is children K to 12 register in the school system)...and I am not just talking homeless living out of a hotel...there are families with children living in the woods behind the shops on Main street...I was shocked, and cried just hearing this...Actually I am crying as I type this...My heart breaks for these families...We personally know how hard it is to find work around here...4months hubby was unemployed in 2008 and I lost my business, but we are so blessed and have a roof over our heads today...Many have not been so lucky...more than I though so it turns out.

For a community this small 200+ is an astonishing number...I know many of you that read my blog also live in small or rural communities and like me probably think of homelessness as a "city" problem...I challenge you to find out what the numbers are in your own back yard...

What am I going to do personally about this???..Talk to our Children's minister and see what we can organize to do to help these families...Find out how we can contact them and bring them the help they need to get back on their feet...and of course PRAY and ask you all to pray too...Just because the media has stopped covering this issue does not mean it has gone away.

Blessings Kelsie