Did you know?
- Families and children are the fastest-growing segment of homelessness.
- Families make up 41% of all homeless.
- 60% of the above are children; 50% of those are age 5 or under.
- Wichita schools provided services to 2500+ homeless children ages 0-21 during the 2015/2016 school year.
- Wichita family shelters are routinely full.
- We keep families together.
What is Homelessness?
Being without a safe, warm place to sleep, eat, and care for children; living without the security of familiar people and belongings—that is homelessness. The loss of one’s home, the most basic element of stability, is a profound crisis for anyone, but especially for families. Parents endure the heartache of being unable to provide a secure environment for their children. And children, who now make up 25 percent of our nation’s homeless population, are deprived of a fundamental requirement for healthy development—a safe, permanent home.
How Many People are Homeless?
Statistics vary depending on the source, but estimates are that 2 – 3 million people a year experience homelessness. The sad truth is that families with young children are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population –they now account for 40 percent of all those who are homeless.
What Can We Do to Help?
People of faith want to respond to the needs of their homeless neighbors, but this can be an overwhelming task for one congregation. What do we do? How do we become part of the solution? Family Promise of Greater Wichita is part of a national program that responds to the growing need to provide shelter, meals and comprehensive support services to families without homes. The program unites area faith communities and groups to assist homeless families.
