Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I was watching CBS evening news tonight and they had a special about Whitney Elementary School in Las Vegas. Apparently 85% of the students are homeless. This really blew my mind and there's no reason for this to be happening. Whatever your position on homelessness, it really doesn't apply to children who have no choice in the matter.
The principal apparently has a charity to help the kids but they are now on summer break. I would like to find a way to help and I wanted to extend this to anyone else in the valley with any means to make a difference.
"...Her family lost its home to foreclosure three years ago. Her father Chad is a construction worker. He hasn't had a fulltime job in two years..."
Perhaps the family needs suitcases and bus tickets to somewhere else with better job prospects for Chad:
Quote:
"...Richard Fisher, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, dropped by our offices this week and relayed a remarkable fact: Some 37% of all net new American jobs since the recovery began were created in Texas. Mr. Fisher's study is a lesson in what works in economic policy—and it is worth pondering in the current 1.8% growth moment..."
Review & Outlook: The Lone Star Jobs Surge - WSJ.com
Last edited by SportyandMisty; 06-10-2011 at 10:24 AM..
The school staff there is absolutely wonderful and very well trained in dealing with these kids. I'm so happy people are recognizing the efforts of the dedicated principal and teachers (and counselors) at that school.
My CASA child....a beautiful young lady given a raw deal. Mom was just recently released from prison after serving a 6 year prison sentence because she is and always will be a drug addict. Her parental rights over my CASA child were taken away.
Her Dad, with serious issues of his own at the time, sober and clean for many years now, loving his only daughter and in her life with the cooperation of the Foster Families she's had.. but he was living in one of those flea bag motels....
My CASA child. Shuffled through 4 different foster homes since she was a toddler. Good kid, loves-loves-loves- her school and her teachers, and her friends there at Whitney. So curious about the world and so wise beyond her years. An old soul in a little girl's body.
Through some of the really wonderful programs we have here in Las Vegas, and the wonderful people at Whitney...our CASA team got her Dad into some parenting and economic classes and he was able to use some resources available to him ...to purchase a home. An extremely modest home, in the area of Whitney, but in a OK neighborhood where it's a bit safer than the weekly motel he was at and where the Dad could easily afford the expenses to maintain the home with his job at TI. His goal was to be reunited with his daughter and make a permanent home for her after he had proven he was a fit parent.
A few months ago we went to Family court...I voiced the desire of my CASA child there to the judge and to the panel of Social Service/Child Welfare personnel.
That day, my CASA child was reunited with her loving Dad and he regained full and sole parental custody of her amidst tears, cheers and hugs in the courtroom.
They have been in their little home for about 3 months now, my CASA team friends and I helped her Dad furnish the home to give them a good start right off the bat instead of waiting until he was able to buy things a little at a time. They needed some furniture, another TV, small kitchen appliances, plates, cups, more linens..all the things that make a house a "home"
A few weeks ago I took my CASA daughter to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I bought her everything pink and purple for her bedroom... curtains, bedspreads, lamps, sparkly decorations. The first time this kid ever had "her own" bedroom in "her own" house and where she doesn't have to be afraid of being sent to yet another foster home and getting uprooted again and leaving a family who showed her kindness by being foster parents. Now, she and her Dad are "fixing up" the yard, and she wants to plant flowers.
A homeless Las Vegas kid success story in and around Whitney ES. I was released of this CASA child, she doesn't need an advocate anymore, she is happily living with her Dad and they are both doing well. But she'll always be in my life, they all are.
But, there's another....... another child who is ready for a CASA volunteer. There always is.
"The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes"
While I agree that being on the street is considerably worse than being in a motel, how exactly is it scare tactics? What I mean is, the story itself wasn't ragging on how terrible Vegas is. Quite the contrary, it was documenting how the principal and many others have quite a bit of compassion during a time when many people are financially hurting quite badly.
While one could easily perceive it as slander against the city, I found it to be quite the opposite. A glimmer of hope that people still care about each other and a subject that shouldn't be ignored. There's zero reason any American child should be eating ketchup packets for any meal when we're shelling out billions of dollars in foreign aid.
I should not have said scare tactics, but rather misinformation. Living in a motel is far from being homeless.
The school staff there is absolutely wonderful and very well trained in dealing with these kids. I'm so happy people are recognizing the efforts of the dedicated principal and teachers (and counselors) at that school.
My CASA child....a beautiful young lady given a raw deal. Mom was just recently released from prison after serving a 6 year prison sentence because she is and always will be a drug addict. Her parental rights over my CASA child were taken away.
Her Dad, with serious issues of his own at the time, sober and clean for many years now, loving his only daughter and in her life with the cooperation of the Foster Families she's had.. but he was living in one of those flea bag motels....
My CASA child. Shuffled through 4 different foster homes since she was a toddler. Good kid, loves-loves-loves- her school and her teachers, and her friends there at Whitney. So curious about the world and so wise beyond her years. An old soul in a little girl's body.
Through some of the really wonderful programs we have here in Las Vegas, and the wonderful people at Whitney...our CASA team got her Dad into some parenting and economic classes and he was able to use some resources available to him ...to purchase a home. An extremely modest home, in the area of Whitney, but in a OK neighborhood where it's a bit safer than the weekly motel he was at and where the Dad could easily afford the expenses to maintain the home with his job at TI. His goal was to be reunited with his daughter and make a permanent home for her after he had proven he was a fit parent.
A few months ago we went to Family court...I voiced the desire of my CASA child there to the judge and to the panel of Social Service/Child Welfare personnel.
That day, my CASA child was reunited with her loving Dad and he regained full and sole parental custody of her amidst tears, cheers and hugs in the courtroom.
They have been in their little home for about 3 months now, my CASA team friends and I helped her Dad furnish the home to give them a good start right off the bat instead of waiting until he was able to buy things a little at a time. They needed some furniture, another TV, small kitchen appliances, plates, cups, more linens..all the things that make a house a "home"
A few weeks ago I took my CASA daughter to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I bought her everything pink and purple for her bedroom... curtains, bedspreads, lamps, sparkly decorations. The first time this kid ever had "her own" bedroom in "her own" house and where she doesn't have to be afraid of being sent to yet another foster home and getting uprooted again and leaving a family who showed her kindness by being foster parents. Now, she and her Dad are "fixing up" the yard, and she wants to plant flowers.
A homeless Las Vegas kid success story in and around Whitney ES. I was released of this CASA child, she doesn't need an advocate anymore, she is happily living with her Dad and they are both doing well. But she'll always be in my life, they all are.
But, there's another....... another child who is ready for a CASA volunteer. There always is.
"The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes"
The school staff there is absolutely wonderful and very well trained in dealing with these kids. I'm so happy people are recognizing the efforts of the dedicated principal and teachers (and counselors) at that school.
My CASA child....a beautiful young lady given a raw deal. Mom was just recently released from prison after serving a 6 year prison sentence because she is and always will be a drug addict. Her parental rights over my CASA child were taken away.
Her Dad, with serious issues of his own at the time, sober and clean for many years now, loving his only daughter and in her life with the cooperation of the Foster Families she's had.. but he was living in one of those flea bag motels....
My CASA child. Shuffled through 4 different foster homes since she was a toddler. Good kid, loves-loves-loves- her school and her teachers, and her friends there at Whitney. So curious about the world and so wise beyond her years. An old soul in a little girl's body.
Through some of the really wonderful programs we have here in Las Vegas, and the wonderful people at Whitney...our CASA team got her Dad into some parenting and economic classes and he was able to use some resources available to him ...to purchase a home. An extremely modest home, in the area of Whitney, but in a OK neighborhood where it's a bit safer than the weekly motel he was at and where the Dad could easily afford the expenses to maintain the home with his job at TI. His goal was to be reunited with his daughter and make a permanent home for her after he had proven he was a fit parent.
A few months ago we went to Family court...I voiced the desire of my CASA child there to the judge and to the panel of Social Service/Child Welfare personnel.
That day, my CASA child was reunited with her loving Dad and he regained full and sole parental custody of her amidst tears, cheers and hugs in the courtroom.
They have been in their little home for about 3 months now, my CASA team friends and I helped her Dad furnish the home to give them a good start right off the bat instead of waiting until he was able to buy things a little at a time. They needed some furniture, another TV, small kitchen appliances, plates, cups, more linens..all the things that make a house a "home"
A few weeks ago I took my CASA daughter to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I bought her everything pink and purple for her bedroom... curtains, bedspreads, lamps, sparkly decorations. The first time this kid ever had "her own" bedroom in "her own" house and where she doesn't have to be afraid of being sent to yet another foster home and getting uprooted again and leaving a family who showed her kindness by being foster parents. Now, she and her Dad are "fixing up" the yard, and she wants to plant flowers.
A homeless Las Vegas kid success story in and around Whitney ES. I was released of this CASA child, she doesn't need an advocate anymore, she is happily living with her Dad and they are both doing well. But she'll always be in my life, they all are.
But, there's another....... another child who is ready for a CASA volunteer. There always is.
"The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes"
The school staff there is absolutely wonderful and very well trained in dealing with these kids. I'm so happy people are recognizing the efforts of the dedicated principal and teachers (and counselors) at that school.
My CASA child....a beautiful young lady given a raw deal. Mom was just recently released from prison after serving a 6 year prison sentence because she is and always will be a drug addict. Her parental rights over my CASA child were taken away.
Her Dad, with serious issues of his own at the time, sober and clean for many years now, loving his only daughter and in her life with the cooperation of the Foster Families she's had.. but he was living in one of those flea bag motels....
My CASA child. Shuffled through 4 different foster homes since she was a toddler. Good kid, loves-loves-loves- her school and her teachers, and her friends there at Whitney. So curious about the world and so wise beyond her years. An old soul in a little girl's body.
Through some of the really wonderful programs we have here in Las Vegas, and the wonderful people at Whitney...our CASA team got her Dad into some parenting and economic classes and he was able to use some resources available to him ...to purchase a home. An extremely modest home, in the area of Whitney, but in a OK neighborhood where it's a bit safer than the weekly motel he was at and where the Dad could easily afford the expenses to maintain the home with his job at TI. His goal was to be reunited with his daughter and make a permanent home for her after he had proven he was a fit parent.
A few months ago we went to Family court...I voiced the desire of my CASA child there to the judge and to the panel of Social Service/Child Welfare personnel.
That day, my CASA child was reunited with her loving Dad and he regained full and sole parental custody of her amidst tears, cheers and hugs in the courtroom.
They have been in their little home for about 3 months now, my CASA team friends and I helped her Dad furnish the home to give them a good start right off the bat instead of waiting until he was able to buy things a little at a time. They needed some furniture, another TV, small kitchen appliances, plates, cups, more linens..all the things that make a house a "home"
A few weeks ago I took my CASA daughter to Bed, Bath and Beyond and I bought her everything pink and purple for her bedroom... curtains, bedspreads, lamps, sparkly decorations. The first time this kid ever had "her own" bedroom in "her own" house and where she doesn't have to be afraid of being sent to yet another foster home and getting uprooted again and leaving a family who showed her kindness by being foster parents. Now, she and her Dad are "fixing up" the yard, and she wants to plant flowers.
A homeless Las Vegas kid success story in and around Whitney ES. I was released of this CASA child, she doesn't need an advocate anymore, she is happily living with her Dad and they are both doing well. But she'll always be in my life, they all are.
But, there's another....... another child who is ready for a CASA volunteer. There always is.
"The mission of the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Program is to support and promote court-appointed volunteer advocacy for abused and neglected children so that they can thrive in safe, permanent homes"
Perhaps the family needs suitcases and bus tickets to somewhere else with better job prospects for Chad:
Review & Outlook: The Lone Star Jobs Surge - WSJ.com
Yea, I have to agree with that. Hanging around waiting for construction jobs is like planning your yearly expenses around winning the jackpot.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
