The Struggles of the Youth

I read about the plight of homeless children in a book called, A Shelter is Not a Home... Or is it?. It has some striking information about homelessness in New York City. But homelessness is an issue not only in New York, it is right here in Savannah.

"For most children, homelessness is not a brief or singular experience, but a period fraught with educational and emotional setbacks that can last for years. These children endure turbulent living situations, family violence, health problems and instability in nearly every aspect of their lives. Homeless children move 16 times more often than the average American family, resulting in frequent school transfers, enrollment problems, and excessive absences."

Imagine trying to go to school and learn, when you don't know where you'll be going that evening because you don't have a home. As a result of these struggles, many of these youth drop out of school.

We have homeless shelters in Savannah, but they can be improved to better meet the needs of the people here. You can help. Visit unionmission.org for more information about how you can become a volunteer or you can browse the wishlist for items you can donate to the homeless community.