Most reading this will be returning to a home or apartment after work. You will entertain yourself on your iPhone or iPad, watch tv, and eat plenty of food. For many on the Fort Peck reservation, they will not be so fortunate.
With so many economic, social, crime and disease measurements or index that are among the highest or lowest, it’s no wonder that homelessness is a constant threat to kids and adults on reservations.
When people that aren’t well aware of what is going on hear about homelessness, they picture a man with a sign that will beg for food and money. How about females and their children?
It’s a huge underreported statistic with no accurate measurement.
Many men will choose to not stay with the children and will drift around/ on or off the reservation. The mother has the impending responsibility to care for her children as best as she can. She doesn’t have the freedom to just care for herself.
The jail population swells as the temperature drops and the snow flies. We have housing, 3 meals a day and we know many people that also share that commonalty . It sure beats living out of a car. But, sadly, this is home for many. Living out of cars, on the street, trying to find a place to survive in for a few weeks before picking up and moving to a different location; that’s how they live. They don’t know if they will sleep safely, or know when their next meal will be. All they know is that they need to get through one more night.
By empowering the youth, they will be in the position to care for their parent(s) if they choose to. The brighter futures of these kids will include less and less homelessness. This is where the generational cycle of poverty is put to a merciful end.
Even though when you invest the time and effort in the kids, you might not see the immediate results, you will see them in the long run. Kids will turn into adults with brighter futures and more options and choices.
We were recently in contact with Alan Jacobson, the President of Flo Creed Jacobson Initiative. He shared two amazing quotes, that we would love to share with you.
“It’s much easier to grow strong boys than to fix broken men.” – Fredrick Douglass
“Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed that is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Meade
We hope those two quotes linger with you for awhile. Get involved with Love Has No Color helping the kids grow into healthy, confident, caring adults.