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Kids Camp
for Homeless
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Many cities across the U.S. are seeing an increase in homelessness. Job cuts and foreclosures are landing families, many with children, on the streets. But some teenagers who got a brief taste of what homelessness is like are vowing to do something about it. Reed Galin reports. |
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SCRIPT:
(Locator: Omaha, Nebraska)
In this economic downturn, the face of homelessness is changing in
America.
The Rev. Jane Florence, First United Methodist: “People who are saying
that they never expected that they would be homeless, not with their
education, not with their experience. The population of homeless people
and children on the streets is growing.”
To better understand the issue, more than 70 young people erected a
cardboard box city outside
First United Methodist Church in Omaha,
Nebraska.
Participant: “And this is our moon roof.”
Michaela Hough, First United Methodist Church: “You only hear about
those big cities like San Francisco and New York. But we’ve got a
problem here in Omaha and I think people need to know about it.”
Youth donated canned goods and paid five-dollars to spend the night.
Kealani Kee, First United Methodist Church: “The idea seems fun, but
we’ve already had issues, our boxes blowing away and stuff. And it might
rain tonight.”
Teens learned about the hardships firsthand from people like Teresa
Swett, who has been homeless three times.
Teresa Swett, Formerly Homeless: “We did have a car. So we were luckier
than some people because we slept in the car, a lot.”
Andrea Norton, First United Methodist Church: “I honestly didn’t know
that so many people with disabilities are homeless. Some people that
have gone through abuse and violence. There’s little newborn babies out
on the street every night.”
A cold wind kept students inside their boxes…waiting for daylight.
Elizabeth Lam, First United Methodist Church: “Like, right now my feet
are like numb.”
Andrea Norton: “Last night was uncomfortable.”
Even though box city was just one night, organizers hope the impressions
will a lifetime.
Becky Jones, First United Methodist Church, Youth Leader: “I think
they’ll go home and reflect and I think they’ll talk about it Monday
when they go back to school.”
Kailey Hansen, First United Methodist Church: “I know that the people
that we came with, we’re all just, like, so amazed by all the facts
that we learned. And it makes us want to go do stuff.”
TAG:
The Box City youth donated more than 300 cans and boxes of food to help
the homeless. And to stay “green”—the boxes they slept in were recycled.
For more information on the Box City event, contact First United Methodist Church of Omaha at 402 556-6262.
Also, see: Youth build box city to learn about homelessness
Posted: June 1, 2009