Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy………..Psalms 82:3-4
Why We Exist
Defining the Problem
There are just over 1600 homeless children that attend Alief ISD schools, of that number there are 45 documented youth that are considered unaccompanied minors having neither mother, father or any other legal guardian directly caring for them. All of these children need healthcare, afterschool care, tutoring help, and adult mentorship. Additionally, those that are considered unaccompanied minors need a safe place to live away from gang life and sex trade life which is a common fate for unaccompanied homeless youth in Alief. There are also an unknown number of homeless youth in Alief who are not self-reporting for various reasons such as embarrassment, fear of siblings being separated, and anxiety over being removed from the safety of their community.
The McKinney-Vento definition of homelessness
According to this standard, children and youth who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence are homeless. When families “double up” because one family is experiencing loss of housing or economic hardship, the family is considered homeless.