December 2023 Newsletter

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Childhood Restored

 

Lost childhood is irreplaceable.

When parents are in trouble or not present, children react, retaliate, run. Some children are left to fend for themselves, some become substitute parents to younger siblings. Too much responsibility and freedom, without the maturity necessary to make good decisions, causes many minors to experiment with forbidden behaviors. Permissiveness, addiction, abuse, and neglect steal away a healthy childhood.

When children are not valued, they can become self-destructive and lash out at those around them, especially authority figures. Childhood is a time of adults having the weight of responsibility and children play, learn, grow. Poverty adversely affects the brain and body, decreases achievement, causes poor physical, emotional, and behavior health, as well as exposure to increased crime and violence. When childhood is lost, parenting skills are not learned.

A proper environment is needed for restoring childhood. Samaritan Inn offers a time and place for mothers and children to refocus on each other, while we care for the household. In the realm of homelessness, almost always the child’s mother has custody. Together, they are a family needing restoration. They need structure, routine, safety. They need to know their roles of parent, child, student. The generational cycle of dependence being a learned behavior has to be restrained.

Homeless children need the support of a strong Christian community. Yet, they are hidden from public view. It’s the emergency of homeless campers that is given attention. Government programs follow complaints of public camping and media reports about the assumed problem. Most campers can trace their issues back to broken childhoods. What is not reported is that our homeless women and children’s population at the Mission already outnumbers the men, if not for our two single room occupancy hotels for men’s transitional housing. And they are growing faster than the men.

Our Samaritan Inn has been blessed to have 17,500 square feet of buildings, 1.75 acres of land, and 110 beds for women and children. We are presently equipped to meet emergency shelter needs. This year our average bed usage is about 60 women and children per night, down from pre-pandemic levels. Still, we are currently working on expanding the size and programs needed for homeless women and children.

Restoring Christmas, the story of baby Jesus, celebration, tradition, faith, and receiving presents develops childhood. Happy holiday times that can be remembered and shared create a sense of belonging and purpose. Having common social activities helps to prevent isolation and develop a greater sense of identity, family, and community that carry into adulthood. Two-year-old Meadow was here last Christmas, along with her mother and older sister and brother. Her mom had lost her job and was struggling financially. Childhood and Christmas were restored.