Jason's Blog

I had a chance yesterday to reconnect with quite a few people and groups– many of whom work on front lines of poverty in our community.  I thought that it might be good to share some of their fact finding with you.

1.  In 2001 with the passage of the No Child Left Behind legislation, all Texas public schools are now required to research and keep records of homeless children living in their area.  Bryan ISD identified 67 children in that year.  For 2008, the number they are reporting to the state is 300.  Absorb that number for all its worth.

What does that 300 count actually mean?  What that means is that during 2008 school year 300 children became homeless or were living in substandard conditions (like a motel, a car, doubled up beyond capacity in a house, etc.).  The state does ask why they are homeless – they only require that services be rendered or made available.  I believe the count for College Station is 88 students.

When the Bryan City council asked, “How many of these count are evacuees from Hurricane Ike?”  The answer was 72 overall and 12 still present.  On further clarification, there are about 163 students currently receiving services as homeless from the Bryan Independent School District.

To put that in perspective, I believe there were 164 in my graduating class from Magnolia ISD.  It is hard to fathom this many students in need.

I have to applaud our state for intervening and bringing the dignity of continuity to these students lives.  School might be their only constant.  There parents might be dead or missing or fighting with each other.  There may be no other relatives willing to step up or who can step up.  But they go to school, they get clothes, they get food, they have a chance.  They are not left behind.  So after 3 pm, if you happen to be out and you see a school bus, with lights on.  Offer up a prayer to whoever gets out.  Some of them may be on their way to a friends house to “couch surf.”  They may be on their way to little or to much.  But pray for them.

2.  Did you know that ALL federal and state funded low income housing assistance has been suspended in our community?  Neither Bryan nor College Station are accepting any further applicants and the current projections are that there is no help on the way for another year.  For the social workers that I was with yesterday, this was grim news.  It’s not as though they can help a person get back on their feet if they lose their housing.  Our families that enter the Family Promise program have an even stiffer hill to climb than normal.  It would take extraordinary funding to bring us back to a stable environment where people could receive aid in even a 90-120 day window.

3.  Twin City Mission is looking to continue its building program to open a new facility.  I’m certain when they open it in the middle of June, they will be full of folks needing their aid.

We live in a great community, but be praying for those in crisis, those who are hungry, those who have no place to lay their head.  They live nearby.