National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month

Stephany Nellessen
Volunteer

As the San Luis Valley begins to look like a delicate Christmas snow globe, as you plan your family’s Thanksgiving feast, as you reminisce over 2011, do not forget about the 3 million people who will go without shelter in the year to come. The National Coalition for the Homeless has officially declared the week before Thanksgiving (November 14 to 20) to be National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Furthermore, the entire month of November has been christened National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month.
There is no doubt that while you are munching away at turkey and pie on Thanksgiving Day an average of 600,000 individuals will be hungry and cold in the streets of our nation. The San Luis Valley has a population of about 46,000 inhabitants in an area larger than the state of Connecticut. These numbers paint a picture of a very spread-out and rural population. 20.5 percent of San Luis Valley residents live below the poverty line, including 31.8 percent of children living in poverty. The overall rate of homelessness in the Valley is 1.1% compared to Denver’s rate of .61 percent and Colorado’s state rate of .38 percent. What do these numbers represent for the Valley? They signify an area plagued by rural homelessness. Rural homelessness means limited access to limited resources. People are forced to migrate to urban areas to find the services they need to supplement the lack of jobs and poor economy that prevents growth and independence. The San Luis Valley is home to 35 small communities, the largest being Alamosa with a population of just under 9,000. Although Alamosa is home to several social service programs, there is just not enough available assistance to support the entire population in need.
The National unemployment average is at a staggering 9 percent and urban areas are particularly affected by unemployment as they are flooded by both urban and rural inhabitants seeking out jobs. The San Luis Valley’s economy is primarily fueled by the agricultural industry. These days less and less manual labor is needed to keep a farm or plant functioning. Migrants journey to the Valley between the months of August and October looking to find work in the fields and shelter in the cities. Alamosa sees a large population shift during the harvest season. Programs such as La Puente’s emergency shelter can expect a 60 percent increase in services provided. This increase occurs as social welfare programs endeavor continual support to their permanent population.
These statistics may be overwhelming. Perhaps they depict a problem seemingly too big for one person to conquer. But it is the subtle actions of each individual that provoke a foundation of change. So as you sit down to a Thanksgiving feast keep in mind those 600, 000 men, women and children who have nothing but love and hope to keep themselves full and warm on that day. Skip that extra pie and use the money to support a local charity. Think twice before you fill your plate with more food than you can eat and toss the extras in the trash. Educate yourself and others by investigating the effects of hunger and homelessness in your community. Read more about National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week on the National Coalition for the Homeless’ webpage (http://www.nationalhomeless.org/). Take a step in solidarity for those around the world who experience hunger and homelessness every day. Because as Howard Zinn stated in his paper The Optimism of Uncertainty, “We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic action to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.”