Even in affluent Collier County homelessness is a possibility increasing numbers of families face.
For many, a divorce or job loss is the first step in a series of events that lead to homelessness.
Once the negative cycle begins, it can be very difficult to stop.

There is a hidden cost to the housing crisis that is affecting all of us nationally and locally.  That is the cost to our children. An estimated two million children will be affected by the mortgage crisis over the next two years. Children of all ages suffer when they lack a safe and stable place to call home. It affects all levels of their development: physical, social, emotional, and academic. This crisis will have a lasting affect on our society for years to come.

Collier County has been hit hard, and each year there are more homeless students in the Collier County Schools. According to Karen Morgan, Liaison for the Education of Homeless Students, in 2003, when she began serving in this position, twenty-seven Collier County students were homeless. By the end of the last school year, six hundred and twenty-five students, pre-K through twelfth grade, were homeless for part or all of the school year. Many youth leave the area as their parents seek a better future elsewhere, so the numbers go back to zero at the beginning of each new school year.

Collier County school enrollment forms for new students ask about living arrangements. Also, as classes resume, teachers begin to learn about their students’ situations, and word gets back to Morgan. As of the beginning of October, 245 students with uncertain living conditions have been identified. That means they are living in shelters, motels, cars, parks, substandard buildings, sheds or other places not meant as accommodations for human beings, or that they are being sheltered temporarily in crowded conditions by family or friends. Sometimes families share housing, with both contributing equally to the rent. Children in these settings would not be considered homeless. If there is overcrowding or one family just paying token amounts, then a housing situation is considered insecure.

Homeless families want the same things for their children as other families. According to Morgan, most families never expect to find themselves homeless.

“For some of these people, rather than a domino effect, it’s an avalanche effect,” she says. “They may lose their job, then their house, and end up staying with relatives or friends, dependent on their good will. Some are victims of domestic violence or house fires. Some have lost homes through no fault of their own. All of the families we serve are very appreciative for anything we can do to help.”

She tells of one family of four that came home to find an eviction notice because of a foreclosure on the home they were renting, although they were paying their rent regularly.

How do these children manage to keep up with their studies?  It isn’t easy.  Picture eleven-year old “Melissa,” sleeping in the front seat of a car from November through April of last year. She was wedged between her father, who slept behind the steering wheel, and her eight-year old sister. Her mother and her two younger siblings slept in the back seat. Her father worked as day labor, and every now and then they had enough money for an inexpensive motel room. Yet Melissa made it to school on most days. The winter was better than the warm weather, she said, because there were no mosquitoes.

Another family of four, living in a tiny one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment, took in nine more family members for three months.

“Mattresses stood against the walls during the day, and at night it was wall-to-wall people,” says Morgan.

There was also a family of six living for six months in a motel room with two double beds. The mother worked two jobs but could not save up enough for a deposit on an apartment.

The stories go on and on, with families saving aluminum cans to cash in for gas money, unaccompanied teens who are “couch surfing” wherever they can find shelter with friends or relatives, the difficulties of shelter living, and more.

The school district’s goal is to minimize the effects of homelessness on academic progress. Homeless students qualify for free lunches for the remainder of the school year, as well as help with school supplies, gym uniforms, and other school expenses. They are helped to stay in their original school, if at all possible. If they have to transfer, their registration is expedited, with assistance in obtaining school records and any required immunizations and physicals. If high school students are having difficulties, they may be referred to Beacon High School, an alternative school where they can receive help in completing their studies.

Children who have stable homes, adequate food and clothing, and a place to do homework and get a good night’s sleep are likely to achieve more, academically. Children who don’t have adequate clothing and other necessities are often unable to keep up and are reluctant to go school, where they feel like outsiders. It’s also more difficult for homeless students to stay for after-school activities and to get help for academic and emotional problems. Through grants, the school liaison’s office can provide some material assistance, such as vouchers for shoes, for books, and CAT passes. One ten-year-old boy told Morgan that the shoes he purchased with his voucher were the first he ever had that no one else’s feet had been in.

Even with free lunches and breakfasts, obtaining food for dinners, weekends, and holidays can be problematic. Whenever possible, Morgan refers families to social service agencies. Although she cannot use grant money for food or clothing, she often distributes gift cards, some for as little as ten dollars, that are donated by generous members of the community.

Collier County receives federal funds to assist homeless students, through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. It ensures that each child has the right to an education, and provides help to minimize disruptions in a child’s school life when the living situation is insecure. Two thirds of the school liaison’s salary is paid from the McKinney-Vento grant, and one third is paid from a Title 1 Federal Grant. Most of the liaison’s contact is with school guidance counselors or the guidance secretary, who relay the needs of particular students. Collier County schools do not have social workers, and not all schools have nurses on site.

Often, at this time of year, families, clubs and organizations want to help those less fortunate to have a happier holiday season. Morgan notes that teens especially can use some extra help. A separate fund was established to assist homeless students with necessities that grant money can’t provide. Caring and generous members of the public may assist homeless families by making a tax-deductible contribution to the Homeless Education Program c/o Naples Alliance for Children, 660 Ninth Street North, Naples, Fla. 34102.

You can reach Karen Morgan, Homeless Liaison for the Collier County Public Schools at 5775 Osceola Trail, Naples, Fla. 34109, by phone at 239-377-0512, or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Contact her if you are seeking a speaker, need services, or want to help.

Collier County Resources

Local shelters provide transitional housing and also welcome volunteers, donations and other assistance. All provide a structured environment to help residents move on with their lives. Naples families can help by inviting residents to go on an outing or to participate in community activities, providing jobs, and in many other ways.

Shelter for Abused Women and Children: This shelter provides 40 emergency beds, as well as food, clothing, counseling, and advocacy for women and children who are victims of domestic abuse. More than 500 people call the shelter their home, every year. The shelter also provides an on-site kennel for the residents’ pets. Shelter volunteers have a 24-hour Crisis Line, (239) 775-1101, and the Options thrift shop. To learn about these and many other volunteer opportunities, call 775- 3862 or visit http://www.naplesshelter.org

St. Matthew’s House: St. Matthew’s provides shelter, as well as services such as a food pantry, soup kitchen, and help in applying for food stamps and other assistance. There are 120 dormitory beds, plus six rooms set aside for families, housing children from babies to teens. They also offer long-term transitional living at Wolfe Apartments in Golden Gate, and operates Friendship House in Immokalee. (Call 239-657-4090 for info.) St. Matthews has a thrift shop, and is also selling pavers to finance the cost of renovating the soup kitchen at the original St. Matthews House, the old East Naples Fire Station. You can find a wish list at www.stmatthewshouse.org or call 774-0500.

Providence House: Located in East Naples, Providence is faith-based, and provides transitional housing consisting of eight furnished cottages and a self-sufficiency program for up to two years for motivated women over 18 with young children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. The women are required to work or go to school, pay rent, save money, attend life skills classes, and transition to regular housing. For more information call 692-8779 or visit providencehousenaples.org

Youth Haven: Youth Haven has been providing care and shelter for abused and neglected children in Collier County since 1972. In an effort to prevent abuse, they offer parenting education and counseling for families at risk, some of whom are on the edge of homelessness. Its Caring for Families program helps families prevent crises by getting help as soon as possible. This program “…is a comprehensive parenting education and support program for families in our community struggling to make ends meet due to recent job loss, reduction in work hours, or other pressing financial issues putting them and their children in significant jeopardy of becoming homeless. Geared towards families with at least one child eleven years of age or younger, this one-on-one home-based program assists in …. addressing employment concerns, budgeting, and housing issues. Parenting-skill education, guidance and support are also provided.” Call 774-2904 or visit www.youthhaven.net for more information.

Kristin’s Closet: For some families, even thrift-shop prices are prohibitive.  For these families, Kristin’s Closet was founded in March, 2008, by Neapolitan Shantelle Maxwell, a current academic advisor at Edison College. Kristin’s Closet provides gently worn and new clothes to homeless children and others in need. Students are identified by school counselors, and clothing is taken to the school or shelter, to protect a student’s confidentiality. Teens are especially in need. For special events, gently used prom and homecoming dresses are provided, and Hair by Jose donates hair styling for these occasions. Z Cleaners also helps by greatly reducing dry cleaning costs. For information on Kristin’s Closet, go to www.kristinscloset.org or call 537-1983.

by Linda Denning