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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Homelessness & Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.  While there are probably a million things to be happy for this year, one that means a lot to me, aside from the obvious hubby and daughter, is my warm home.  I ask that you please remember that, this season, not everyone is so lucky to have this simple pleasure.  Here are some facts from our country that I got from PBS.

Between 2.3 and 3.5 million people in the U.S. find themselves homeless during a given year.  1 out of 50, or 1.5 million children are homeless every year.  23% of those that are homeless are chronically homeless.  Recession has had a large impact on these numbers.  Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. have the highest rates of homelessness.  Can you imagine being homeless in Alaska?!  Can you imagine being a baby, a Grandma, or someone with a serious medical condition and being homeless in Alaska?!

It is believed that approximately 40% of males that are homeless are veterans.  That means they served our country, were willing to die for us, and now they are sleeping on the streets, under bridges, or in shelters.

Many people who are homeless also suffer from mental illness and/or HIV/AIDS and other acute and chronic health problems.

If you're interested in what you can do to help go to The National Coalition for the Homeless

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8 comments:

Amber said...

i'm glad you posted this. it's such a reality check (for me). so.sad :(

Elizabeth-FlourishinProgress said...

Thanks for this.

Homelessness is such a sad, pervasive problem for most cities.

Each person has their own story and struggles and i wish there was something more that could be done.

Anonymous said...

There are so so many things to be thankful for. Sometimes it's easy to forget even the simplest of gifts, like health or home. Thank you!

Ameena said...

I never thought of homelessness in Alaska...kind of a crazy thought. I think the saddest statistic is the number of homeless veterans...

On another note, I just say your last post and I'm so glad that gonannies.com worked out for you. I hope that you are able to hire someone ASAP!!

Shell said...

This really keeps things in perspective for me.

Alex said...

Great post!.. We are all very blessed and sometimes we forget. Thank you for the reminder.

mdforkids said...

Yes, thank you for the reminder to be thankful for our warm homes. Something we should remember not to take for granted. Thank you for the links too. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

TheBabyMammaChronicles said...

Thanks Mrs Xoxo, it is sad.

Elizabeth, I think one of the reasons I remembered it even more this year is that we're closer to NYC and I know what a problem it is there. It's suprising and scary how quickly you can go from everything to nothing.

Mamabear, as always, thanks so much for your visits and comments.

Ameena, thank you! And I hope so too on the Nanny! I'll keep everyone posted on my decision and the progress.

Shell and Alex, thank you for your visit!

Melissa, I hope you had a great Thanksgiving too!

 
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