Homeless doesn’t mean hopeless, on-campus programs available for homeless teens

Johnny Vasquez, Contributing Reporter|May 18, 2020

The term “homeless” is a broad spectrum and students can be subjugated to this word if they have to share a house with multiple families or if they are in and out of shelters. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, Texas is home to approximately 10 percent of the country’s homeless youth and children. During the 2014-2015 school year, Texas school districts identified 113,294 students as homeless — and that is a conservative number.

The term “homeless” is a broad spectrum and students can be subjugated to this word if they have to share a house with multiple families or if they are in and out of shelters. According to the National Center for Homeless Education, Texas is home to approximately 10 percent of the country’s homeless youth and children. During the 2014-2015 school year, Texas school districts identified 113,294 students as homeless — and that is a conservative number.

Everyday at 3 p.m. most students pack up their belongings and make their way home, not stopping to think that some of their classmates don’t have it as good, some don’t have a place to call home. 

According to the National Center for Homeless Education, Texas is home to approximately 10 percent of the country’s homeless youth and children. During the 2014-2015 school year, Texas school districts identified 113,294 students as homeless — and that is a conservative number. Research released in a report by Chapin Hall in November 2017 estimates that each year nationwide 1 in 30 youth, ages 13 to 17 experience homelessness and 1 in 10 youth, ages 18 to 25 experience homelessness. That translates to 62,351, 13- to 17-year-olds and 294,353, 18- to 25-year-olds experiencing homelessness in Texas.

Most Americans associate the term “homeless” with dirty people who live on the streets. The term “homeless” is a broad spectrum however, and students can be subjugated to this word if they have to share a house with multiple families or if they are in and out of shelters. AHS works with the non-profit program “Families in Transition” that helps to protect students in these situations.

FIT works with numerous schools by providing resources to students, such as shelters, housing programs, food pantries and churches. FIT also provides transportation, free lunches and school supplies. The program helps by helping students with late enrollment, the prevention of loss of credits, lowers ACT and SAT fees, sends letters to colleges for aid and provides special scholarships to students. FIT has been providing aid to students since its founding in 1987.

In addition to the FIT program on campus, different organizations and clubs host a variety of drives during the school year to help homeless students. In December, there are two big holiday drives to collect hygiene products, school supplies, clothes and food for students in need, one through StuCo for Mission Arlington, and one among the faculty that directly helps AHS students. 

Though the charitable drives help and the FIT program is available, there is still more that can be done to help homeless AHS students. There is not enough space on campus to collect many clothes or to create a food pantry, and there is also not a food program to provide food over the weekends or holiday breaks. With support from the Colts family, these things are possible. To find out how you can help, contact Josie Drewett in B110.