by Hey Paul on Flickr
Each time I walk in my living room it’s like stepping through a minefield, but the obstacle is a vast array of toys and shoes. Really, my children are so lucky to have them.
The homeless shelter at DC General has been given significant media attention since the disappearance of Relisha Rudd, but hundreds of families have lived in the old DC General Hospital for years.
In April, Mike DeBonis from the Washington Post reported that 600 families were living in the shelter. Petula Dvorak wrote a column recently about the housing crisis and the staggering pace at which the city has addressed the issue.
According to the Playtime Project, a non-profit that has served children in the shelter since 2003, there are at least 600 children on site.
The Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organization (CHPSPO) is working to help these kids with a specific need, like help getting dressed for school. It’s a arduous task for most parents each day, but imagine if you didn’t have laundry facilities nearby. The city dictates each needy child who attends a school with uniforms be provided one.
One outfit barely makes it through the day at my house, much less until the next time I do laundry. The CHPSPO project is working with Evolve Property Management to provide for toiletries, school uniforms, socks, underwear, etc. A donation of uniforms is especially easy since there is a direct link to an Amazon wish list. There is also a list of toys that could brighten the day of a homeless child. All donations are tax deductible.
The Playtime Project’s belief “that play is a human right that all children deserve, regardless of housing status” drives staff and volunteers to provide playful games, chances to learn through art, movement and imaginative play, as well as one-on-one attention and caring adult supervision. Activities also include a “Girls On The Run” team and a growing curriculum for pre-teens which focuses on active living, wellness and self-empowerment Like the organization on Facebook and you can find about a myriad of steps you can take to help these children.