By: Virginia Irby

Homelessness has been evident since the Colonial times. In the Great Depression is when homelessness was mainly first seen as a huge issue within children and families It then disappeared for awhile and made it’s comeback right around the 1980’s returning as a major issue once again

16% of people in an interview claimed not eating at least one day of the week 59% reported eating twice or less in a day On average, 159 children were counted in shelters marked as homeless on February 2, This is the highest we have seen it in the Greater Richmond area since 2004 when the homeless children count was at 161, but keep in mind this was just a count of children in shelters The percent of homelessness has increased 9%, now at 1,102 people

Will you explain why homelessness is an issue? How does being homeless affect children in the greater Richmond area? In February, volunteers counted 159 homeless children just in the Richmond area. Does the number surprise you? Can you explain why or why not?

The Ten Year Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness in the Greater Richmond area was a plan noted in the Style Weekly on Dec, 26, Are you aware of this plan that has been going on for almost four years?

Do homeless shelters for women and children help the issue at all? If yes, then how do they help? It is said that most homeless children grow up to be homeless as adults. What is your opinion on that statement?

How do you think most people/children become homeless? How can people at home help the homeless? (with ways that agree with the law)

Now a View of Homeless Children from all Around the World…

A small homeless boy, maybe five or six is sleeping on concrete or stone steps with his dog. He will probably move around to different places several times within a week… Brazilian families scattering around looking for love ones, most likely after a natural disaster. Most of them are now homeless due to the destruction.

Two Philippine boys lye down on cardboard boxes. These boxes serve as their only cushion from the hard concrete they must sleep on day and night. An American boy sits in a cardboard box under a city bridge, tightly bundled with probably some of the only possessions he has left. He is also smoking a cigarette; even though this is hard to tell he is probably 11 or 12 years of age.

These two Brazilian Street Kids were murdered. If they are getting murdered, how many more children will be killed off? (Street Kids means on their own.) Three children emaciated and filthy. A little girl caring for her- what are assumed to be her two little brothers. As you can see the little boy has no clothing, and they are sitting in front of a tent. That tent is most likely their home.

That is a conclusion to my presentation. Thanks for watching

Literature Citations: Dwyer, Johanna T., et al. "Nutritional and economic advantages for homeless families in shelters providing kitchen facilities and food." Journal of the American Dietetic Association 93.7 (1993): General OneFile. Web. 3 Nov w Greene, Kristen. "Number of Richmond-area Homeless Children up 21 Percent since Last Year | Richmond Times-Dispatch." Richmond, VA - News, Classifieds, Business News, Civil War, Virginia Politics, Opinion, Sports, Flying Squirrels Baseball, Entertainment, Obituaries and Weather | Richmond Times-Dispatch. 02 Feb Web. 05 Dec homeless- children--ar / homeless- children--ar / Horne, Kelly K. "How the Metro Area Handles Homelessness| Letters." Style Weekly - Richmond, VA Local News, Arts, and Events. 26 Dec Web. 05 Dec

Picture Citations: Children in Brazil. Web. Dec. 2, Elsalv Homeless. Thefamily.org. Web. Dec. 2, Girl Child Ignored. Web. Dec. 2, Homeless America. Changingwinds.wordpress.com. Web. Dec. 2, Homeless Children. Edu.glogster.com. Web. Dec. 2, Homeless Children in India. Young-sam.blogspot.com. Web. Dec. 2, Homeless Children. News.change.org. Web. Dec. 2, Rio’s Street Kids. Web. Dec. 2, Street Children in the Philippines. Rodrigo75.wordpress.com. Web. Dec. 2, Street Children in the Philippines. Streetkids.news.blogsome.com. Web. Dec. 2, 2011.