Understanding the Issue

 

Many, many factors contribute to a family falling into the crisis of homelessness. 

Begin to understand the impact of trauma over a lifetime with this powerful Ted Talk which was given by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris and is called, "How Childhood Trauma Affects Health throughout a Lifetime". 

39% of children in our country experience poverty while growing up.  This video looks at the impact persistent poverty has on generational poverty. . .

Dr Brené Brown, author of "Daring Greatly", has spent the past decade studying vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame.   Check out her spin on empathy in this video. . . 

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The families we work with are all living below the poverty line.  They have children to care for, bills to pay, job shifts to make and little support from family and friends.  There is no room for error.  Often, they must make difficult choices - staying home with a sick child means missing a day of work.  Paying a bill means not enough food on the table to feed their family.  Any one crisis - from a fire to a missed bill to a death in the family - can tip them into homelessness.


Graphic courtesy of the National Coalition for the Homeless

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The Cost of Youth Homelessness . . .

How Homelessness Happens

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 Graphic courtesy of the National Alliance to End Homelessness 

Impact of a Low Barrier Shelter

Learn about the benefits of a low barrier shelter for the guests we serve.

Homelessness Awareness and Advocacy Resources

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National Coalition to End Homelessness (NCEH)

 https://endhomelessness.org/  

Erie County Homelessness Brief 2017

 https://wnyhomeless.org/app/uploads/2017-Erie-Homelessness-Brief-Final-Version.pdf 

National Child Traumatic Stress Network

 https://www.nctsn.org/ 

Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness

https://www.icphusa.org/