Homeless During the Holidays… – blogged by: @uniquely_humble

The holidays are quickly approaching, and while many of us have already begun to scratch items off of our list well after all the Black Friday sales are over, we forget that there are families and children all around the world that won’t give it a second thought because they are less fortunate.

Do you remember being a child and having an undeniable hope that no one person could shatter? Looking through Toys R Us magazines and commercials thinking which exact gifts, Santa would leave and how you’ve been a good boy/girl all year? We’ll for most homeless children it stops at just that. Those hopes of waking up with gifts that they’ve dreamed of all year are sometimes shattered because of life’s circumstances. Some of these children are waking up in cars, on park benches, and in shelters with complete strangers because of the decisions of adults that were responsible for them.

Being homeless in general is a hard pill to swallow, but imagine being homeless as a child. You have no control over your life or what happens to you and for that reason alone you are at the mercy of adults and a system that is supposed to nurture and care for you. With factors such as sleep deprivation, hunger, and psychological torment which no child should have to endure, the holidays are not always enjoyable.

Society has conditioned some of us to walk pass homeless adults at times because they may use the money for drugs or liquor, which is not always true, but what has society taught us about homeless children? Have we opened our eyes to the epidemic that leads to mental illness and the long term effect of being homeless and how can we address them as a community? Some teenagers will end up in the judicial system or mental health care system because of the stigma associated with childhood homelessness.

When I think of homeless children in America, I think of brokenness. I believe that each child should have a right to grow up and enjoy their childhood without having to worry about where they will sleep, what they will eat, and if they are safe. This is my hope for the many children around the world that are looking for answers in a situation which they have no control.

Of course, no one person can move mountains alone, but the idea is to give back enough to let a child know that the light still shines for them. Being an advocate for child homelessness is showing these children that someone care about their life and what they can one day become. So I am challenging all of you to reach down deep in your hearts and contact a local shelter in your city and give back to a child that needs to know that someone cares. Look up the nearest Big brother/sister program in your city to give a child an experience that you can never get back. Christmas is soon approaching and a gift and a hug can bring joy to so many young hearts. With Love-T