More than 1.5 million American kids — that’s one in 50– goes to bed without a home in the course of each year.
“I refuse to stand quiet as this remains unspoken. At best, people turn away from this news. At worst they do not even know. It is time we all stood for these kids. It is time to rescue them,” said Tom in an e-mail earlier today.
Tom Tuohy is my friend, the founder of Dreams for Kids and a man who is using his life to honor a promise he made to his mother before she lost her life to breast cancer in 1995. “We did not lose my mother then and we never will; her enduring legacy and love live on in the lives of our kids.”
Here is more of the e-mail I received from him:
“I have yet to talk to a single person who is not stunned to hear these statistics.”
Did you know…..
* About a third of the homeless population in the US are is comprised of children. This includes children who are living in: another family’s home due to loss of housing; emergency, domestic violence or transitional shelters; hotels or motels; campgrounds, cars, parks, public spaces, temporary trailers, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus and train stations.
* Of course available statistics do not include children younger than age 6 who would not be served by public schools or those with no custodial guardian.
* Homeless students are more likely to be sick, have more behavioral problems, attend school less, perform poorly academically and often have developmental delays.
Tom continued. “This has become my cause. It is time for everyone to know this. It is a silent epidemic and it threatens not just them but our future. We must find a way to ensure everyone knows about it. Our future depends on it and their lives deserve it.”
Mother’s Day is around the corner. Please join Tom in honoring Moms everywhere by getting involved. Visit the Dreams for Kids website. Like them on FaceBook. Visit a shelter. Make a contribution. Watch the video. Share this post. Change starts with awareness: please reach out in any way that you can.
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One Response to “A Promise to His Mom”
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Sadly, I think we, as a society, do not like to think of unpleasant things. Homeless children may be the most unpleasant sad thing this world endures and it is more common than we are all aware. It seems it is something no one speaks of because nobody wants to believe it occurs. Dreams for Kids is a necessary voice for those unable to speak for themselves. Children should not have to worry where their next meal is comming from; whether they will have shelter; or who will provide for them.
Thank you for sharing this!