“We have a massive job. At one time I didn’t call it that, but with welfare reform and economic conditions, our population continues to grow.”
Jerrilyn Johnson, Homeless Children’s Advocate

On any given night, 20,000 to 30,000 North Carolina families are homeless. More than half of them are women and children. This startling statistic comes from the NC Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Economic Opportunity. Nationally, more than 1.35 million children and youth experience homelessness in a year.

Figures compiled by the OEO show shocking disparities and highlight the plight of homeless women and children in this state. These numbers are based on data contained in the 2002 annual performance reports submitted by 109 non-profit organizations and 3 governmental units in 53 of North Carolina’s 100 counties. These agencies served 6,483 families and 28,945 single individuals. The following figures are derived from data on families:

55 percent cited mental illness as the cause of their homelessness

61 percent cited alcohol abuse

75 percent drug abuse and 31 percent had a dual diagnosis

9.2 percent were affected by HIV/AIDS

67 percent reported domestic abuse

91 percent were unemployed

46 percent were underemployed

53 percent had been evicted

5.3 percent reported child abuse and neglect

8.2 percent were runaway homeless youth

19 percent had been released from prison

30 percent were transient

33 percent were homeless due to relocation

41 percent of adult females in families, aged 18 to 30, were homeless in 2002. 49 percent of them, aged 31 to 55 were homeless along with 5.3 percent over the age of 55. 10 percent of single females aged 18 to 30 were homeless; 18 percent aged 31 to 55 and 2.4 percent aged 55 and over were homeless in 2002. 95 percent of girls under twelve months were homeless in the same year. 32 percent aged 1 to 6 and 29 percent ages 6 to 12 were homeless that year. 8.5 percent of male children in families under one year of age were homeless in 2002. 28 percent of boys ages 1 to 5 and 6 to 12 were homeless and 8.3 percent of them aged 13 to 17 were homeless in 2002. 26 percent of African-Americans in North Carolina were homeless in 2002. 3.6 percent Asian Pacific Islander, 42 percent Hispanic/Latino; 7.6 percent Native American/Alaskan Native, 38 percent White, and 8 percent other.

Jerrilyn Johnson

Project HOPE, a program sponsored by the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools addresses the needs of homeless children and their families. Jerrilyn Johnson, the Case Manager/Homeless Liaison recently sat for an interview with the Journal. She shared the story of Project HOPE and her work with homeless children and youth.

“I am the coordinator for Project HOPE – a HUD-funded program. The [school] social workers had a concern that the needs of homeless children were not being met. Because of their caseload it was difficult to determine who they were and where they resided. Under the direction of Dr. Carlinda Purcell, the social workers wrote a grant to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for funds from the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. They named the grant Project HOPE. They received approximately $26,000 to hire a case manager – my position – and a resource teacher.

I was hired in March 1996 for only a few months. I told my supervisor that any of us could become homeless at any time and I would not like to think that we’re doing this as a band-aid for a few months. Truly the needs of homeless children/students would continue to go unmet. I asked him if he would allow me to continue the program if I could find any homeless children in our school system and he said yes. At that time there were no federally mandated laws for homeless children. I have to thank Dr. Monica Lett, Director of Winston-Salem Housing and Neighborhood Development and Tim West for their support. They agreed that there was a need to work with homeless families and provided the statistics on homelessness in Winston-Salem and included us in their HUD Continuum of Care grant.

I’ve been allowed the creativity to develop this program and provide advocacy and education related to children and youth in homeless situations. I spent the first year working out of my car, writing grants. I spent entire days in shelters to get the feel of what that experience is like. I wrote grants to obtain funding for direct services such as tutoring support, transportation for children, assistance for medical visits and a home/school coordinator.”

Mommy, are we Homeless? by Jerrilyn Johnson Illustrated by Mary Bentley Clark

Johnson’s energy and advocacy on behalf of homeless children and youth evolved into her first book, a self-published work entitled, Mommy, Are We Homeless? It is a simple and eloquently written story about Molly, a child whose family is forced into homelessness. It took two years and some vividly compelling dreams to move her to action.

“I had a dream of writing a book – I just laughed out loud and said I didn’t want to do it. I had a second dream and I went back to sleep. I said, ‘No, I’m not doing that.’ The third time I had the dream, I woke up at 3am and typed the idea on my computer and went back to sleep. At times I found it just very difficult to write and read. It’s hard, sometimes, to detach yourself from what you see that’s related to your job. I see teenagers when they don’t want the school bus driver to let them off in front of the shelter. I talk to children who don’t know what to say to another child who asks, ‘Where do you live?’ To write about it was a challenge for me.”

When asked what Journal readers could do to help alleviate these problems, Johnson advised, “Become familiar with the issues that go on in the lives of homeless children by volunteering in a shelter. Donate school supplies for poor and needy children. Become sensitive to the needs of children in homeless situations.

We never know why we are where we are in life or the reasons for where we have been, but hopefully our experiences will be of great benefit to each other. One of the greatest things in life is to talk with someone, to fellowship with someone and share a meal. That’s simple, it’s not buying a Rolls Royce, it’s enjoying someone else.

What is important is what you leave behind
and how you helped someone.”

For more information on homelessness click here.

For more information on North Carolina's homelessness, click here.

To order Mommy, Are We Homeless? contact:

Southland Consultants
P. O. Box 16512
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27105-6512
or fax an order to 336-774-0607.

Jerrilyn Johnson holds a B.S. in Education, an Advanced M.Ed. in Counseling and Education, a M.S. in Administration with Advanced Studies for Educational Specialist. She is also a former school counselor.