Atlanta Non-Profit Organization, Atlanta Mission, Looks at Raising a Child Homeless

    ATLANTA, GA, October 03, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Tonight, will you tuck your child into their own bed? When you do, consider that one in every 50 children in the United States is homeless, and the number is growing, note Atlanta volunteer providers at Atlanta Mission. The lack of decent-paying jobs, home foreclosures, rising rental and utility costs, unemployment and many other factors are contributing to the desperate situation that faces our nation's children.

The Sad Facts

Would you recognize a homeless child if he or she were walking down the street? More than likely, you wouldn't. Many of these children live in a world of confusion, fear and mistrust, not sure what life is going to throw at them from one day to the next.
- The typical homeless family consists of a single mom with two or three children, usually under five years old.
- The average age of a homeless child is nine years old.
- Homeless children go hungry twice as often as others.
- Homeless kids get sick twice as often as other children.

What are the Long-term Effects on Homeless Children?
The providers of women shelters in Atlanta, Atlanta Mission, recognize that the long-term effects of homelessness on children are dramatic and can scar them for a lifetime. Homeless kids have an increased rate of learning disabilities - about twice the rate of other children. Many homeless kids have been exposed to physical, mental and sexual abuse. The long-term effects are varied and extensive, leading some into crime, drug use and other dangerous situations.

What Can We Do to Help a Homeless Child?

"There are many programs, both private and government funded, that were created to address the needs of the homeless, but they all need support. Because of government cut-backs and less funding for private sector agencies, it has become more difficult to get the resources needed to homeless families," states Josh Deyton, Director of External Marketing of Atlanta Mission, the Atlanta homeless shelters. "Look around your community and see how you can help. Do you belong to an organization that can be of assistance with fund-raising? Is this something that your business would be interested in supporting? By helping you are given these children hope."

To learn more about their homeless shelters in Atlanta, go to http://www.atlantamission.org/.

About Atlanta Mission:

Atlanta Mission was established in 1938 and is now the city's largest and longest-running provider of services to homeless men, women and children. They offer emergency and temporary shelter, recovery programs, job attainment services and transitional housing for more than 950 men, women and children on a daily basis.

# # #