The Face of Homelessness

The tough times started when J.R. Bennett entered New York's homeless system. "That was the worst point of my life," J.R. said. "For me, I can say that's where hell began." Sadly, as one of the 12 million American children who suffer from poverty, J.R.'s story is not unique. But it does give us a closer look at the insidious ways poverty erodes the happiness and hope of children - and it shows us constructive ways to help.

J.R.'s Story

Everything in J.R.'s life changed when his mother became ill and his father had a stroke. Before his parents' illnesses, they had all lived together in a small rented apartment in New York City. His mother's poor health forced his dad out of work. When the condition worsened and she moved into a nursing home, J.R. said, "The happiness slowly just went away." Soon after, he and his father lost their apartment and found themselves negotiating New York's labyrinth homeless system.

J.R. entered his first homeless shelter at the age of four. Over the next 11 years, the Bennett family went through 14 different shelters. In one year alone, J.R. switched high schools three times.

Homelessness has taken a serious toll on J.R.'s emotional health. "I feel like my childhood was taken away from me," J.R. noted. "I really was neglected in my childhood because I was constantly moving. I was in another shelter and another shelter, another shelter." J.R. felt isolated from other teenagers and at times considered suicide.

For J.R., life in a shelter feels like a prison: no privacy, no safety, and no security. But being homeless means more than not having a place to live. J.R. says the transient life robbed him of his childhood. He feels his family's lack of a home cost him the love, happiness and security that comes with stability.

To combat his desperation, J.R. became involved with his church's youth choir, and last year, J.R. began an internship with New York City's Coalition for the Homeless. The internship, which continues today, helped the teenager gain a sense of self. Now, instead of feeling like a problem, he feels like part of the solution. In fact, J.R.'s intelligence, sensitivity and perspective have made him one of the coalition's most popular speakers. Recently, he did a public service announcement for the coalition and even got some acting tips from What's Going On? host and celebrated actor/director, Tim Robbins.

What's Next for J.R.?

Since he was profiled on What's Going On? J.R. has continued his work as a spokesperson for New York's Coalition for the Homeless with great success. Recently, he appeared with the Coalition's Executive Director at Housing Homeless Youth: An Invisible Crisis, a conference of politicians and homeless advocates in Manhattan. This summer, J.R. will work as a counselor at Camp Homeward Bound, http://www.coalitionforthehomeless.org/programs/children.html
a summertime camp for homeless children, where he will teach other kids how to be successful advocates for homeless youth.

What Can You Do?

Article 27 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that every child, regardless of race, sex or nationality, has a right to adequate housing. On any given night in America, over 1.2 million kids are homeless, and families account for the fastest growing segment of the homeless population. You can help these kids by looking into the work of the New York City Department of Homeless Services and the Coalition For The Homeless. Each organization offers ways to get involved and can direct you to advocates in your area.