Did You Know?

According to a recent Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American adults, 70% think that the number homeless families in the country will increase, while a mere 7% think the numbers will go down. 19% believe there will be no change. (Apparently, the remaining 4% must not have had any opinion on the matter). 

83% of people in the survey consider homelessness to be "at least a somewhat serious problem" in the U.S. 

According to HUD's 2008 Annual Homeless Report to Congress (released July 9, 2009), the number of homeless families in the US rose by 9% (the rate of homeless families in rural areas jumped a whopping 56%). The point-in-time estimated increase of homeless families in the state of Oregon rose by 17.4%. (According to this report, Oregon also rates among the 3 states with the highest estimates of homeless persons proportionate to the state's total population-1 in every 200 people.) 51% of the children in homeless families are under the age of 6. Another 34% are between the ages of 6 and 12.

With the national unemployment rate currently hovering at 9.5%, and the state of Oregon's at 12.2%, it seems unlikely that the number of homeless families will decrease anytime soon if all other variables remain constant. 

To read up on the results of the Rasmussen Report, follow the link.

To read the HUD report, follow this one.

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ShelterCare's 6th and Final HouseWarming Auction A Huge Success

Thanks to the generous support of all those who attended, we raised enough funds to support:

-our shelters for families with children

-all the families who stay in them

-our amazing Children's Program

-our Transitional Housing Program

For over two months. That is simply incredible.

While the 2009 auction was indeed our last event of its kind for at least awhile, it was by no means ShelterCare's last event. We have a few fabulous, upcoming events in the planning process and we cannot wait to reveal them, once we have finalized the important details. So, stay tuned!

Did You Know?

-Numerous studies have shown that homelessness causes damage, sometimes permanent, to a person's mental and physical health. Lack of a stable home environment, constant moving around, crowded shelters, and life on the streets take a heavy toll. Homeless individuals are at increased risk of infectious diseases, upper respiratory infections, and a host of wintertime environmental impacts on their general well-being and health. Malnutrition and chronic dental and skin problems are common.

-Children are especially vulnerable, with research showing that stress brought on by homelessness can cause delays in their cognitive and physical development. Homeless children consistently exhibit more health problems than their housed peers, with higher incidence of infection, asthma, stomach problems, and depression. Individual experiencing homelessness are also more likely to have their mental health impacted, with higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, and nearly twice the rate of depressive and anxiety orders.

-At ShelterCare's Family Housing Program, families with children experiencing homelessness are provided shelter and support until they can transition out of the program and into a successful living situation. Parents are provided budgeting advice and job search coaching. Staff in our Children's Program supervise the children in a supportive, structured and educational environment while their parents work on improving their situation. This past fall, we even introduced a parenting skills course that teaches the parents in our programs how to be more effective in raising their children. We help prevent the tragedy of homelessness from reoccurring in these vulnerable families. 

Did You Know?

Many famous people experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. 

-Lauralee Summer, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Learning Joy From Dogs Without Collars, was often homeless as a child growing up in Oregon and Washington, and had moved 20 times by the time she was 12. 

-Ella Fitzgerald, the legendary jazz singer, was a homeless teenager in NYC before she was discovered in an amateur singing contest. 

-John Paul DeJoria, cofounder and spokesman for John Paul Mitchell Systems haircare products spent time as a homeless single dad in Los Angeles, working odd jobs and collecting cans and bottles before becoming the billionaire he is today.

As you can see, homelessness can happen to anyone, and people can rebound from it with tremendous results. From July 2007 to June 2008, ShelterCare helped 693 parents and children get back on their feet after suffering from a period of homelessness or the imminent threat of homelessness. ShelterCare provides short-term emergency housing for families with children in its Family Housing and Brethren Housing Programs. We also prevent families from becoming homeless in the first place through our innovative Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP).