This is a sad story written by Theresa Harrington of the Contra Costa Times and I wanted to give it some additional attention. The stereotype of homeless people fills the head of drug addicts, the mentally ill and yes, even the Concord Crankster. Many times they are just people down on their luck and found themselves with nothing left and out on the streets. Then a story like this comes across my screen and my heart drops.

CONCORD — Savannah is a 17-year-old girl high school student who lives with her diabetic grandmother in a shelter that will soon close. They don’t know where they will go next.

“I hope that we are able to get into a shelter so we can have a roof over our head,” said Savannah’s 55-year-old grandmother, who did not want to be identified by name. “I don’t think she or myself would be able to survive on the street.”

Savannah is one of 185 students who receive services through the Mt. Diablo school district’s Homeless Outreach Program for Education, or HOPE. The district has seen an increase in homeless students in the past three years, rising from 128 in 2005-06 to 322 last year.

By federal law, any student whose family moves in with another family is legally homeless, said James Wogan, program administrator.

He estimates the district could serve up to 500 homeless students by the end of this school year, providing bus passes, tutoring and counseling. The program also collects and distributes food for homeless families and helps them find housing, clothing, medical care and meet other needs.

“We’ve been getting one to three calls every day for the last two weeks,” he said. “We’re seeing a lot of kids you wouldn’t expect. … We’re seeing families in Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and Clayton. With this economy, there’s no ‘face’ to homelessness.” – Read the entire article on the Contra Costa Times.

17 years old living in a shelter and has the genuine desire to get an education and has the aspirations of going to college. No kid should have to carry that burden. I had no idea there were almost 500 kids in this situation in our area. As a member of the community this saddens me to hear this.

There is a way to help these kids. The district office is on my way home, I’m dropping off a Safeway gift card tonight.

I spoke to the MDUSD Dist. offices and they said they are accepting any donations they can get. There is a bin in their lobby for canned foods and such as well if you can spare any.

Target, Safeway or other gift cards for homeless students can be dropped off at the Mt. Diablo school district office, 1936 Carlotta Drive in Concord or sent to James Wogan, Riverview Middle School, 205 Pacifica Ave., Bay Point CA 94565. Check donations, which will be used for homeless tutoring services, should be made out to the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, noting homeless and foster youths. Receipts available on request. Information is at 925-458-6858 or www.mdusd.k12.ca.us/hope.

These stories make the social impact of our economic crisis even more desperate. I can stomache the stories about homeless adults but not kids. Thank you Theresa Harrington of the Contra Costa times for putting this story out!

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