Hands of Hope
Resources for Homeless Families
The Need:
- The growing homeless population in Yuba and Sutter Counties moves in and out of motels, sleeps in cars and abandoned buildings, camps by our rivers and in our parks, and lines up for the few beds in a small number of available shelter programs. Most facilities in our area are restricted to single men, battered women, or substance abusers.
- However, changes in local economic conditions are rapidly transforming the homeless population with an increasing percentage of one- or two-parent family groups with minor children. They tell a story of either a single catastrophic event, such as job loss or medical crisis, or a series of setbacks which gradually overwhelmed financial and emotional resources.
- It is this population, homeless family groups with minor children, who present the greatest potential for intervention and stabilization. While many of these families receive temporary financial assistance under county programs, others are led by parents who go to their jobs daily, working in service sector and part-time positions that do not provide them sufficient income to obtain secure and permanent housing. Yet, in all other ways, they are full participants in our community; they patronize our businesses, join with us in public life, and enroll their children in our schools.
- Under mandate from the No Child Left Behind legislation, local school districts report 246 children attending K-12 schools in Sutter County, and 332 in Yuba County, who are homeless as defined by the McKinney-Vento legislation. These totals do not include younger siblings ages 0-5 and not yet enrolled in school.
- Nighttime places of residences reported as shelters, motels, vehicles, multiple families in single dwelling, parks, parking lots, abandoned buildings, etc.
- Homeless children attending school with lack of proper hygiene or clothing may cause erratic or spotty school attendance, drop-out before graduation; Failure to achieve full academic and social potential in school; Possible gang affiliation; Chronic homelessness, drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness.
- While the establishment of a full shelter program may be feasible at a later date, the “day service center” model is a practical and attainable “first step” in a broader community response.
- These basic support services will help children stay in school, help adults present themselves for job interviews and advancement, direct families to other sources of assistance, and compassionately help them focus on a better future.
