The Harsh Realities for Homeless Families

In an article entitled “Annual Count of Dallas’ Homeless Sheds Light on Children’s Plight,” Christina Rosales highlights the importance for programs that serve homeless families. Each year, hundreds of volunteers canvass shelters, transitional housing, hotels, motels, and places not meant for human habitation to survey homeless individuals and families to determine their needs. Data collected in 2012 indicated that 54% of the homeless population is families with children, which has increased by 35% since 2010.  The Ramirez family, consisting of a 32-year old mother, Earllene, and her two school-aged children Amaanyi and Leinad, was  one of many families that were interviewed at a local shelter. While at this shelter, Earllene  and her children had to sleep on two twin mattresses that were on the floor and her children had to complete their homework on the floor in a noisy, chaotic, over-crowded shelter.  This is a great reminder that while there are hundreds of homeless families in Dallas, few have access to the apartment, furnishings, and afterschool programs that Interfaith provides.  Just last week, an ex-resident who exited due to noncompliance, wrote a compelling letter to her former Interfaith case manager requesting a second chance after having to check herself and her child into a similar shelter.

The Power of the Interfaith Alternative

According to Mike Faenza, “Services and housing for homeless children have really been neglected.... not well understood, and it’s not as visible.” This may be the case for other agencies in Dallas, but it’s certainly not the case for Interfaith. We understand the necessity of having a strong, holistic, family-centered approach to combatting generational poverty and homelessness. This is evident in our vision of ensuring that “every night, every child… a home & hope for the future”. This is done by providing tutors and other forms of academic, emotional and behavior assistance to support and encourage the children in our program. In fact, one former child resident has stated: "[Interfaith] was an inspiring place and [I’m] thankful for a place to live." Yet, another example of Why We Do What We Do and why it is a privilege for the families who are selected to participate. 

Read more by clicking here. 

Stephanie McNeil, Outcomes and Research Manager, has over five years experience of working with children with special needs. Prior to Interfaith, Stephanie has provided outreach support and needs assessments for diverse populations. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Houston and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of North Texas. Stephanie can be reached at smcneil@ihcdallas.org or (469) 828-1823.