The Kids Are Worth It: Our Future Depends on Them

Editor’s Note: See original posting on Medium here.

For decades a small number of us have fought to remove barriers that kept kids out of school because they had no home (yes, that still is a thing, though hopefully not as common). We continue to educate the public about the realities of family/youth homelessness. We push legislators to reduce the injustices of poverty. We refuse to be daunted by the futility of our aspirations. The kids are worth it.

No easy, one-time solutions

Wouldn’t it be nice if we could patch things up — like homelessness — one and done? Sorry! That’s not how it works. And the way things are going on the federal level, trickling down to states, things will become way worse for kids and adults.

The Three Melissas, formerly homeless moms that I’ve known for years, can tell you, families don’t leave the edge of homelessness behind once they get their place to live. Their book (The Three Melissas — The Practical Guide to Surviving Family Homelessness) will enlighten both homeless families and those wanting to know the inside scoop of what these moms went through. Even now…

• One Melissa lives in a flimsy single-wide trailer with her autistic son in the path of the frequent hurricanes, storms, and dreadful heat in Florida’s Panhandle.
• Another Melissa navigates the perilous regulations of the housing authority combined with losing Medicaid, her source of vital medical care and prescriptions.
• The third Melissa, ravaged by record utility bills, just had her car totaled (other driver’s fault), impacting her unpredictable gig income.
  

Millions of impoverished parents who relied on government support for housing, food, medical care, childcare, and educational services have been slammed by the HR1 cuts, aka The Big Ugly Bill. The billions cut from these essential supports have been redirected to the war in Iran and tax cuts for the extremely wealthy, among other golden priorities of this authoritarian regime.

Even the semi-conservative US Conference of Mayors weighed in to have SNAP benefits restored:

“SNAP remains the nation’s most effective and efficient anti-hunger program. It reduces poverty, supports local economies, and provides an automatic stabilizer during economic downturns,” their letter to the Senate said. “Hunger is not a partisan issue, and efforts to address food insecurity should rise above political divisions.” — (The Guardian, 7/25/26)

What families do when trapped?

Families in dire circumstances don’t have a lot of options. Shredding the safety network impacts a growing number of households straining our patchwork emergency assistance system. Survival requires desperate actions.

• Family and friends become less helpful as they, too, struggle to make ends meet.
• Schools may have some resources, although widespread cuts have been made to federal and state public education funding when more funding is needed. Below, a list of alternatives to the traditional backpack donations to make an essential impact.
• Places of worship try to meet and augment the needs of families in their communities, but the trickle-down effect of economic maladies impacting their members reduces their ability to help.
• Shelters and agencies for the most part are struggling to survive so they can help those most in need. And many places don’t have shelters or family assistance agencies.

We will fault and penalize families for making “bad choices,” their responses to thier bad circumstance that we — the big WE — have created. We judge those unable to escape the merciless grip of poverty. We rely on tired approaches to assuage our guilt about struggling families, like backpack drives.

A vital question to ask

A former principal, Michelle Pennix, from Louisville, KY suggested:

“Instead of asking, ‘How many backpacks can we give away?’ please ask, ‘What daily barrier can we remove?’”

She shared this list of essential items to help remove barriers, a list I think is spot-on:

1. Laundry Support Kits — Detergent pods, dryer sheets, stain remover, laundry bags, quarters or laundry cards
2. Hygiene Restock Bags — Deodorant, lotion, body wash, toothpaste, toothbrushes, menstrual products
3. Black Hair Care Kits — Bonnets (not to wear to school!!!! Or in public), durags, wide-tooth combs, edge brushes, hair oil, beads, barrettes
4. Clothing Closet Boost — New socks, underwear, belts, leggings, plain shirts, sweatpants, hoodies
5. Attendance Barrier Kits — Alarm clocks, bus cards, ponchos, umbrellas, gloves, hats, hand warmers
6. Teacher Emergency Drawers — Granola bars, crackers, wipes, tissues, Band-Aids, lotion, pencils
7. Family Paperwork Help — Help families complete school forms, portals, transportation forms, meal forms
8. First-Week Snack Packs — Breakfast bars, crackers, fruit snacks, applesauce pouches, bottled water
9. Calm Corner Kits — Stress balls, fidgets, journals, crayons, headphones, play dough, affirmation cards
10. Encouragement Cards — Handwritten notes for students, teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and of course principals

* These items need to be replenished throughout the year. Check with your local public school for specific needs.

(The list was created by Michelle Pennix, a 21-year urban school principal, posted on Facebook, and shared by my friend, Linda Long, a retired KS school district homeless liaison.)