Help families living on the financial edge

Kids notice more than you think they do. When Nayia, a 3-year-old in Horizons for Homeless Children’s toddler room, was playing grocery shopping, she wheeled her toy cart full of food items to the play register. “Oh no!” she said when she arrived. “We don’t have enough money!” Nayia promptly turned back and started putting the play food back on the shelves.

Thanks to the support of our community, our teachers are trained in responding to trauma. Nayia’s teacher recognized that she was processing a real-life experience. They talked about it as they put the pretend food back on the shelves. Then, after class, her teacher checked in with the Family Advocate working with Nayia’s family, letting them know what had happened in case the family needed more support.

Unfortunately at Horizons, we see things like this in our classrooms every day. And record inflation has only intensified the pressure as food, gas, and rent have jumped by double digits. Where some people might have the resources to juggle finances and trim some expenses to cover the increase, that’s not an option for families who are living right on the financial edge.

In fact, in a recent survey, 60% of Horizons’ families said they had to skip paying a bill in the last month.

Your generosity allows us to help ease the strain on stressed families by providing personalized wrap-around care. Every day at Horizons, we serve children breakfast, a hot lunch, and two snacks to meet their nutritional needs. Our teachers tend to kids’ social-emotional well-being while our Family Advocates support parents, connecting them with resources and working with them on skills like job training, continuing education, and budgeting.

We know from experience how important it is to support the whole family, and we are so fortunate that our community agrees. Your gift now will help us help families like Nayia’s in these extraordinary times.