WE REPEATEDLY FAIL EACH OTHER and I couldn't care less, I won't - I refuse. Screw the Homeless with their open hands, begging for a handout while I sit 2 hours in traffic everyday, my life squandered while the meter runs at $4.00 a gallon.
Others fight to eke out an existence, giving up life for less than minimum wage, begging on a corner for employment from bigots because they're not allowed to be in this country. Seeing them battle for work makes it difficult to care about panhandlers who seem to 'want' to live on the street. I do what it takes to not be homeless, why can't they?
Every Wednesday night, nearly without fail, I find myself surrounded by them; kids, teens, and young adults on the verge of never having a better existence than the one they have right now on the streets. The longer they're out there without help, without breaking the cycle of their poverty, the less likely it'll ever change. Most haven't reached the point of begging on the streets. Full of pride they'd rather steal, and even then with this bunch that seems to be a very last resort.
I volunteer at StandUp for Kids and it's always a battle with myself. After 10 hours of work and commute, spending another 5 hours volunteering isn't at the top of my list and I don't want to go. Two hours later, as I stand in the kitchen spooning food and listening to a chorus of melody and syncopated rap rhythms, I see what the other, more caring volunteers see in these kids.
As a group of young black males sit together, rhythmically pounding the table while beat boxing and rapping in circle, it's easy to witness them open up and forget the dire situation in which they live. They're relaxed here, and when their defenses lower you can see something in them that very few others will, their potential to be greater than what they're headed for right now.
StandUp for Kids isn't a right-away feel-good volunteer project for many of us who spend time there. Sure there are the weekly dinners provided by a church group, or corporation, or even restaurant, but for the rest of us, it's a crazy commitment that allows us to see actual change and development in these youth. When the restaurant Trois brings food - great food such as excellent breaded teriyaki chicken, it's a welcomed treat and the kids show their appreciation.
Requiring nearly 24 hours of training and background checks before you're even allowed to work with the kids, this isn't for everyone. It probably isn't for me - and I don't think about that too much, pushing those thoughts to the back of my head and pulling better reasons up front. Pulling the good reasons, the sort that they throw up on commercials to pull at your heart and get you to give. I grind my teeth at the cheesy thoughts floating around in my block of a head. This 'doing good' schtick is eating away at my cynicism, erasing the cold bastard I so often claim to be.
It's hard. Every now and then I get tired and I want to stop. It's easy to just stay home and do nothing. No one will call asking me to come and help out. They'll just go on about their business and I'll be a memory. On those nights when I'm tired, and on the very rare occasion when I'm somehow roped into giving a ride home to a pregnant teen about to give birth, my disposition isn't in top form.
But it's hard not to change attitudes when I arrive at her home and witness 10 people in one room, strewn across the floor, sleeping soundly while the walls creak from the cold outside. They're conditions worthy of a 'save the children campaign' and before I can say much of anything, the pregnant teen says thank you and pushes me back into the night, away from seeing anymore than the too much I already have. Hers is a reality completely foreign to me and although we welcome anyone at the center, that doesn't mean the feeling is or should be reciprocated with her home.
So I go, every Wednesday night and I work with the more committed, more experienced and absolutely more caring volunteers, trying to help these kids from a life they didn't sign up for, but are clearly living. It's difficult and progress is rarely noticeable, but there are moments. Glimmers when one person shines and you see that they want something different, and without you, without this group of people, they have much less of a chance out there to be something great, or even something where they don't have to worry about their next meal.
They don't need help surviving. They're already doing that. They need help breaking a cycle of poverty that many of them were born into and don't know how to escape.
- Mark Tioxon
Atlanta Gets Busy on New Center Site Clean UP
Huge gratitude to Ron Terwilliger and his generous donation of downtown real estate space! We now have a new home for National StandUp For Kids AND a cool new place to expand our drop in center work…our very own place for homeless and street kids in Atlanta. Click here for more information on this BIG event in our local program’s history…
Snow did not keep a few crazy but motivated volunteers from helping us begin the “shaping up” job at our new center site. We have more work than we bargained for with the former tenant, needing lots of help clearing out the rooms. To our advantage to assist, a team of eight volunteers schlepped many, many boxes to the dumpster out back. We finally succumbed to the potential hazards of traveling home at noon.
Who’d a thunk a snowstorm would stand in the way! There is waaay more work to be done, so …Contact Atlanta@standupforkids.org or 678-522-0197 for upcoming opportunities to help us get our site in ship shape.
Thanks to Paul (not pictured), Sherri, Leah, Max, Jeff, Keith, Rick, and John who came today…you are truly special folks. Suzanne and Jolene get honorable mention for getting there just in time for a tour…
House and Senate "Calling an End to Youth Homelessness"
Declaring November National Homeless Youth Awareness Month
StandUp For Kids ~ Atlanta is kicking off November with their “Calling an End to Youth Homelessness” campaign by collecting used cell phones.
The purpose for collecting these cell phones is to raise funds to meet the needs of the homeless youth in Atlanta. Nationally there are more than 150 million used cell phones in drawers, garages, and offices that are no longer in use. A child runs away every minute, that is more than 1,400 a day or more than 43,000 a month.
Hopefully, the metro Atlanta area can donate that many cell phones for National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.The purpose for collecting these cell phones is to raise funds to meet the needs of the homeless youth in Atlanta. Nationally there are more than 150 million used cell phones in drawers, garages, and offices that are no longer in use.
A child runs away every minute, that is more than 1,400 a day or more than 43,000 a month. Hopefully, the metro Atlanta area can donate that many cell phones for National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.
StandUp For Kids needs funds to support our Atlanta outreach center which provides food, clothing, counseling, and a safe environment for the homeless youth of Atlanta. If you or your organization would like to collect used cell phones for StandUp For Kids all cell phone donations can be sent to the following address or you can contact us to arrange a pickup for the phones:
StandUp For Kids P.O. Box 89018 Atlanta, GA 30312
Every day throughout the US thirteen kids die on the streets from abuse, disease and suicide. According to recent statistics Atlanta has up to 2,500 kids living on the streets at any given time. These kids are the forgotten members of our society struggling every day just to survive, begging for food, money & exploited by gang leaders and pimps.
US Congressman McDermott (D-WA), speaking to the House, made the following statement "As many as 2.8 million kids are homeless right now, right in front of our eyes…Sometimes help arrives too late. On an average, 13 homeless youth die every day from assault, suicide or sickness. Mr. Speaker, the resolution before us,
House Resolution 527, would say that, for 1 month out of the year, America is going to recognize that youth homelessness is an important challenge that we must face as a Nation. More importantly, it will say to every homeless young person that you are not alone anymore. The People’s House sees you, and we intend to help. "
The Search is on. Volunteers NEEDED!
STANDUP FOR KIDS is an all volunteer program, so for us to be there for our homeless kids, we need your help! If you or someone you know is interested in getting involved e-mail us:
