“Kids are resilient” is a cliché we hear all that time. But when it comes to homelessness, those familiar words aren’t so true. While hunger and poverty are hard at any age, homeless children face even more challenges. The effects of poor nutrition can impact life-long health. The fear of not knowing where you will sleep can lead to anxiety disorders. Being bullied affects self-esteem and personal acceptance.
As these numbers show, there really isn’t any area of a child’s life that isn’t affected by being hungry, poor and homeless.
DID YOU KNOW:
Homeless children are 9x more likely to repeat a grade, 4x more likely to drop out of school, and 3x more likely to be placed in special education programs.
Generational poverty is real: Children who experience homelessness growing up are more likely to experience it as adults.
In Snohomish County alone, there are 757 homeless children. That’s like entire student body of both Jackson Elementary and Whittier Elementary combined.
We’re in the top 4! Only three other countries in the developed world have a higher child poverty rate than the U.S. — Mexico, Chile and Turkey.
Teenagers who live in poverty are significantly more likely to experiment with drugs, alcohol, and risky sexual behavior.
Families with children are the fastest growing group of homeless people in the country and make up almost 50% of the homeless population.
But people like you are helping to make a difference at Everett Gospel Mission. Together, we’re providing a second chance for men, women and children – offering them a chance to change their lives for good!
