A High School for Homeless Teenagers
I’m happy to share with you that after a long and rigorous application process, on September 16th, 2010, Broome Street Academy—one of the very first high schools for homeless teenagers in America— received its official authorization from the State Board of Regents to become a charter school. I am blessed to be part of a small team of dedicated people working together to open the doors in September, 2011.
Part of what drew me to the mission of Broome Street Academy is that it will be physically housed within the same building of an organization in NYC that I refer to as a “Haven for Homeless Teenagers,” called The Door. The Door saved me when I was homeless by providing me free pantry packs filled with food, college writing courses, clothing, warm meals 5 days a week, and
a community to belong to when I badly needed one. Now, with Broome Street Academy housed right on the 3rd floor of The Door, our students will not only benefit from a highly personalized educational program designed to meet their needs, but they will also benefit from all that The Door has to offer right in the same building.
Is there any particular organization or person who helped you in your own journey? How will you use the gift they gave you to impact the lives of others?
Ruben Porras (Youth Leadership Trainer, Manifest Living), Julie Shapiro (Executive Director, The Door), Jim Kelley (Producer, The Oprah Winfrey Show), Liz Murray, Travis Johnson (Board Member, Broome Street Academy), Jeremy Kaplan (Founder, Broome Street Academy).
Feeding 50,000 Children Across America
If you already read my memoir, then you know that a small group of people from my community made a huge difference in my life when they showed up at my high school to help me transition out of homelessness. They provided me with everything I could possibly need, from rent to food and even shoes and laundry. These amazing people had read about my situation in the paper and just showed up to help, and they asked for nothing back.
Ultimately, these angels not only helped meet my basic needs, they also changed the way I relate to the world. I now understand that true success doesn’t just stop with one person, it creates opportunities for other people. That’s why when I released my memoir, Breaking Night, knowing I would be on a book tour speaking in front of large groups of people, I immediately searched for ways to weave into these appearances the bigger message of a non-profit that is close to my heart, Blessings in a Backpack.
Blessings is a powerful organization responsible for feeding hungry children across America, children who often come from circumstances not unlike my own. Most people are surprised to learn that thousands of children in the United States go to bed hungry because
At a Blessings in a Backpack sponsor school in Warren, MI.
their families simply cannot afford enough food. For these children, school lunch is an important staple in their day, but on the weekends—without school lunch—they’re out of luck. That’s where Blessings in a Backpack comes in.
Each Friday afternoon, every week out of the entire school year, Blessings sends children home with a backpack filled with food to get them through the weekend. The children then return the backpacks empty on Monday and pick up their replenished backpack again on Friday, every week. What we seen with these young children enrolled in Blessings is a rise in attendance and test scores. Simply put, on a full stomach it’s so much easier to learn and grow.
Currently, Blessings is feeding 32,000 children across America annually. My goal is to use the Breaking Night book tour to raise that number to a minimum of 50,000 children served through Blessings, and we are off to a great start. Scroll down to see some pictures from our Blessings—Breaking Night Bus tour, which has been making stops across the Midwest. It only costs $80 per year to feed a child, and the more support we can get from people like you, the more children we can reach.
What’s great in your life right now? Where have you been blessed and how will your blessings create opportunities for others?
Mothers, grandmothers and other volunteers stuffing bags for their children’s backpacks at a local community center in Cincinnati, OH.