By TATIANA ZARNOWSKI
Published:
Sunday, November 10, 2007
Daily Gazette
SARATOGA SPRINGS - The
homeless in Saratoga County will get a voice Wednesday when a
public rally brings attention to their plight.
There were at least 486 homeless people in the county on Jan.
29, and more than half of them were children.
Many people may not realize that families with children are a
growing portion of the homeless population, said Julie O’Toole,
homeless liaison for Saratoga Springs City Schools.
“Most people think of homelessness as single adults who may have
some substance abuse and mental health issues,” O’Toole said.
The homeless children she works with usually live in motels or
with extended family or friends. Most are homeless for several
months, while other children may be without their own home for
the entire school year.
School districts are required to send a bus to pick up homeless
kids who are living temporarily within a 50-mile radius of the
school district, which O’Toole said takes the burden off parents
in her district who can’t afford to live in Saratoga Springs.
Ballston Spa Central School District has seen an influx in
homeless families since housing costs in Ballston Spa and Malta,
which used to be more affordable places to live than Saratoga
Springs, have increased, said Dawn Howk, district homeless
liaison.
Howk said this year is her busiest yet, and most of the homeless
parents are working poor who fell behind on rent payments, have
poor credit and possibly defaulted on utility bills — all things
that make finding another apartment extremely difficult.
“A lot more families can just put themselves up in a motel
because they can pay that week to week,” she said.
For the second year, the Saratoga County Housing Alliance will
sponsor the rally as part of National Hunger and Homelessness
Awareness Week which is this Sunday through Friday.
It will be held at 11 a.m. at the main entrance courtyard to the
City Center on Broadway.
O’Toole said the alliance has invited people who currently are
or in the past were homeless to speak at the event.
Other speakers will be Mayor Valerie Keehn; Patricia McGuirk,
homeless education program manager for the state Education
Department; Joanne Yepsen and Cheryl Keyrouze, city supervisors;
and representatives from legislators’ offices.
Attendees will be able to get information and pick up literature
from several agencies that deal with homelessness, hunger and
related problems.
The national event held a week before Thanksgiving aims to
promote education and action about homelessness and hunger.
Several events and donation drives throughout the week will
allow residents to lend a hand.
From Sunday through Saturday , Nov. 17, the Saratoga County
Economic Opportunity Council will collect new household cleaning
and personal hygiene items along with baby diapers and wipes.
Drop-off donations at 40 New St., Saratoga Springs. Phone is
587-3158.
From now until Thursday, Saratoga Springs Public Library will
collect nonperishable food items in lieu of library fines for
overdue books. From Sunday through Saturday, Nov. 17, Skidmore
College will collect gently used coats at the Case Center and
have a Fair Trade Sale. Skidmore College will screen “The
Pursuit of Happyness,” a feature film starring Will Smith, at 7
p.m. Friday at Gannett Auditorium. Admission is free, and
donation items will be accepted.
On Thursday, Skidmore College will hold an Oxfam fast, fund
raiser and winter clothing drive.
On Nov. 17, Shelters of Saratoga holds an open house.
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