More families find themselves homeless
In Marion County, more than 1,200 kids are without a home
The face of homelessness in Marion County isn't always the one you see on the streets -- it often includes entire families with young children, struggling to get by.
According to statistics from the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, about 26 percent of the homeless in Marion County are families with children, more than 1,200 children in all.
ONE DAY AT A TIME: Since his family became homeless, Freddie Stark has worked to keep his grandchildren (above) on a schedule. After they get ready for school at the Dayspring Center, the trio ride an IndyGo bus to the kids’ school. - KELLY WILKINSON / The Star
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Homeless: One family's story05/15/2008
FAMILY IN FLUX: “I’m trying to get some more stability because my (grand) children have been through a lot,” Freddie Stark said. “We do a lot together — that’s the best part.” Stark hopes he and his 8- and 11-yearold grandchildren (right) will be able to find permanent housing soon. - KELLY WILKINSON / The Star
GIVING THANKS: Dy’Talzha Stark (left) and her brother Deont’a Stark bowed their heads and said grace before breakfast at the Dayspring Center on Wednesday. - KELLY WILKINSON / The Star
"It's not the single middle-aged man you see on the corner anymore," said Cheryl Herzog of the Dayspring Center, which provides emergency shelter, clothing, and food to homeless families in Central Indiana. "It's families, grandparents, single parents."
Freddie Stark, 50, Indianapolis, has experienced the burden of caring for his homeless family. Stark, who checked into Dayspring about a week ago, gained custody of his grandchildren Deont'a Stark, 11, and Dy'Talzha Stark, 8, in January.
Despite losing his job and home, Stark finds reason to be grateful: his grandchildren.
"It's a blessing," he said. "It's family. I love them to death."
Families like his are the fastest-growing
"Whenever you experience some economic challenges, you're going to see more people losing their homes to foreclosing," said Tim Joyce, executive director for the Coalition for Homelessness Intervention and Prevention, Marion County's key agency for coordinating help for the homeless. Whenever the prices of food and gas start to go up, he said, people have to start making a choice: feeding the family or making rent payments.
Trends in homelessness can take time to become visible.
"When a family becomes homeless, it doesn't happen overnight," Herzog said, adding that most families that become homeless live from paycheck to paycheck until they can't anymore. "When they come to us, it is a last resort for them."
Herzog said the vast majority of Dayspring's residents are working but earn too little to provide food and shelter for their families.
"When you're a family, you have a lot of other expenses as opposed to being single," Herzog said.
For Stark, trouble began when his two-year job as a temp worker fell through unexpectedly.
After seeking housing from social service agencies, which had no vacancies, Stark turned to Dayspring for help.
Stark also has had trouble finding a job. He doesn't have a car, so he takes his grandchildren to school on IndyGo every morning and picks them up every evening. Unable to find a reliable baby sitter, Stark decided to care for his family himself.
"I'm trying to get some more stability because my (grand)children
At Dayspring, the main goal is to give kids a sense of consistency in their lives. Workers at the center provide homework help and after-school programs to make sure that being homeless disrupts their lives as little as possible.
After living at Dayspring for an average of 45 to 60 days, Herzog said, families are referred to organizations that will help them find permanent housing, which Stark hopes to secure.
"If we don't address this, it's hurting the community," Herzog said. "It's the family that makes up our community."
