Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sue Minter, who is a former state legislator, secretary of transportation and gubernatorial candidate. She is the executive director at Capstone Community Action.
[A]s I gathered with my family to enjoy the warmth of the holiday season, I could not stop thinking about the young family in Morrisville who I knew was spending the holidays alone in a motel room because they are homeless.
You may not know that the person who helps you check out at the store, or fixes your car, or is your child’s classmate, is also homeless. But the homeless struggle is very real in every community in our state, it just isn’t often visible in plain sight.
I recently joined the Capstone Community Action team as its executive director. Capstone works with families throughout central Vermont who face economic crisis; we are dedicated to helping people break out of poverty. Of the many challenges we address, I am especially struck and disturbed by the deepening crisis of homelessness and its impact on children. Ken Schatz, commissioner of Vermont’s Department for Children and Families, recently told VPR that the number of homeless people has risen by 30 percent.
Child homelessness is shocking – but here at Capstone, we see it first-hand. In our Head Start program, which serves over 300 young children birth to 5 and their parents, one in four kids has experienced homelessness this past year. In places like Lamoille County, the number is even higher: 39 percent of the Head Start children we serve in Lamoille experienced homelessness in 2018.
Capstone’s Head Start program provides weekly home visits to work with both children and parents on child development activities and supports for mom and dad. I recently met with our Head Start home visitors and learned from one 30-year provider that half of her caseload are homeless families. This is a new stark reality for this long-term Head Start teacher.
Think about what it is like to help your child read and write or teach them fine motor skills on a motel room floor. Consider the long-term impact of living without the security of a safe home and nutritious food.
Every day we encounter families in crisis, and winter is an incredibly challenging time of year. Living in cars or tents is no longer an option. The early arrival of winter has further compounded this need for families. Thousands of households are struggling to both feed their families and heat their homes. This year, Capstone will help over 5,000 central Vermonters have heat in their homes and food on their tables. Capstone recently launched the “Fuel Your Neighbors” initiative to help provide emergency food and heating assistance to households this winter. Thanks to the incredible support of individuals and businesses in our community, we are on our way to our goal of raising $100,000 in 100 days.
This is one small example of what it takes to create change. It takes awareness and action around a common purpose: to create opportunities for every Vermonter to achieve success.
We are proud to be part of a network of partners committed to improving the lives of those who are most vulnerable. Collectively, we believe in the power of human potential. Every day our staff witness the devastating effects of poverty on families. Yet we are inspired by their resilience. The parents we serve want a better life for their children. But it’s hard to make that happen when you are hungry, cold, scared and without options.
Together, as a community, we help stabilize lives and empower individuals and families with the tools, resources and capacity to achieve economic stability and rise out of poverty. We watch as people get jobs, build savings, go to college, start businesses and buy their own homes. We see first-hand how individuals find their own voice and create a new vision for their future.
Two weeks ago we celebrated the winter solstice, the longest night of the year. Vigils were held throughout Vermont to bring awareness to the prevalence of homelessness that exists in our communities. While I reflected on that young family celebrating the holidays in that motel room eating food warmed in a microwave, I thought of the light from those vigil candles as a symbol of hope and unity that we can do better as a community. I also thought of the courage of the families we serve, refusing to let their current circumstances dictate theirs and their children’s future.
Together we can create a place where every person can realize their potential. Together, we can help lift Vermonters out of poverty to face a brighter 2019.
