No Child
Should Sleep
on the Street
Imagine that you are a homeless child, living
in a car or under an overpass with your mother.
you. Your mother says she doesn’t know where
to go. You are frightened, exhausted, and hungry.
This is the sad reality for hundreds of children
in our community each year. On any given night,
half of the homeless people in the metro area are
children. They and their parents are our neighbors:
the working poor, the disabled, the un- and underemployed,
survivors of abuse, and those caught
in a vicious intergenerational cycle of poverty.
Homeless families often have very few options.
Single parent-led families, intact families and
day at the New Orleans Women and Children’s
Shelter. The Shelter offers case management, ed-
-
eracy programs in a safe and family-friendly environment,
so families can gain stability and
prevent a return to homelessness.
It may be a cliché, but we
know our children are our
future. And because twothirds
of the people that the
New Orleans Women and
Children’s Shelter serves
are children, the Shelter
has a special focus on afterschool,
summer and parenting support programs
to help children overcome the
trauma of homelessness and
thrive in school and at home.
Children like Malik
(13-years old) and his two
younger brothers — Makhi
(9-years-old) & Darrick
(6-years-old) — have found
a safe haven and more at the
Shelter. The oldest of three, Malik
says, “I really love the shelter because they support
us in many different ways and they help us
with certain things, like school supplies. I started
school this year and I had everything I needed
and I was so happy. It has helped my family
because it bought us together… and it was so
very helpful because my mom is happy to know
that we are getting a house and it’s amazing.
Join us, Malik’s family, and the 450 people that
the Shelter is on track to serve this year as
we do the hard work – together – to break the
cycle of homelessness. In this season of family,
gratitude and giving back, you can strengthen
our community by giving homeless families the
tools to succeed and achieve stability. Our future
will be brighter because of you. Learn more at
nowcs.org/support
Please say, “I Saw It In Kids & Family New Orleans”
/support