Resources: Understanding Homelessness and Hunger
Books (click on the title to purchase from Amazon.com)
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, Ronald Himler (Illustrator), 1993. This book contains a child’s perspective of a father and son who are homeless. They live in the airport and must remain unnoticed. Age 5-8
Leaves in October by Karen Ackerman. This book tells the story of a family who goes to a homeless shelter after the parents’ divorce. Grades 5-8
Monkey Island (American Library Association Notable Book) by Paula Fox. Describes the hard life of a homeless child in New York. Grades 5-7
Homeless Children (Lucent Overview Series) by Eleanor H. Ayer, Lucent Books. Explains how children become homeless in the United States and ways that we can help.
Web Resources
National Coalition for the Homeless
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/you.pdf
This link is a great resource that lists ways you can help prevent hunger and homelessness in your communities. It gives specific ideas about things we can do to help, including slightly modifying the language we use.
http://www.habitat.org/ccyp/default.aspx
International Habitat for Humanity
http://www.habitat.org/ccyp/youth_programs/default.aspx
Children and youth programs at Habitat for Humanity
http://www.habitat.org/ccyp/youth_programs/youth_programs_involvement.aspx
Ways youth ages 5-15 can help out with Habitat for Humanity
This helpful resource teaches schools, parents, and students about hunger in the United States. It presents lots of material in a fun, organized, and accessible manner. It outlines the amount and causes of hunger and suggests ways young people can make a difference through service. Currently a high school curriculum is available with a middle school curriculum available in the future.