Mentor A Promise

  Photo credit: елена калиничева - stock.adobe.com If you or someone you know needs help, contact the  Suicide & Crisis Lifeline : Dial 988 Childhood and adolescence are already emotionally fraught times in a person’s development. Good or bad, what happens during these periods and how a young person responds to them could very well affect the rest of their lives, including their mental and emotional health well into the future. This is especially true of children and youths experiencing homelessness. This blog post will explore how homeless New York City (NYC) students experience mental illness and how their outlooks may be improved.  How Common Is Mental Illness Among Homeless NYC Students? Sadly, mental illness is widely prevalent among children and youths experiencing homelessness. According to Covenant House, a charitable organization which tracks patterns and cares for homeless youth, 69 percent of respondents report struggles with mental illness. [ 1 ] Given tha...

  Photo Credit: BUddhika - stock.adobe.com Though not exclusive to the United States, domestic violence pervades every stratum of American society, crossing age, ethnic, socioeconomic, religious and other boundaries. Given the exact wrong set of circumstances, anybody can become a victim. In fact, in New York City, domestic violence has been the leading cause of homelessness for families with minor children for the past eight years. This blog post will explore the effect domestic violence has on homeless NYC students as well as potential solutions.  How Many Homeless NYC Students Have Experienced Domestic Violence?  Though the exact number fluctuates with the given fiscal year, approximately 40 percent of families with children who have entered a Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter report domestic violence as the cause of their homelessness. [ 1 ] As of March 16, 2025, 18,135 families resided in one of our city’s shelters. [ 2 ] This equates to roughly 7,254 fam...

  Photo Credit: Mechastock - stock.adobe.com Clichéd as it sounds, high performance in school can open many doors for students, even those without stable housing. Along with confidence and a strong support system, these students have a greater chance of breaking the cycle of homelessness. That said, high performance in school requires educational continuity, such as that provided by staying at a school of origin. This blog post will explore why homeless NYC students should stay at their school of origin as well as the rights and resources available to ensure that.  What Is A School of Origin? “School of origin” is a clunky legalistic phrase that can be translated as the “school the student attended before they became homeless or the school in which the student was last enrolled.” [ 1 ]. This definition would include preschools and, in the event a student completes the final grade level served by the school of origin, the designated receiving school at the next grade level whic...

  Photo credit: Seventyfour - stock.adobe.com It will surprise absolutely no one reading this to learn that not only does New York City have a high cost of living, it frequently ranks in the top three on lists of most expensive cities in the world. Though often ranked as the richest city in the world, New York has a poverty rate of 23 percent, nearly twice the national average. One frequent byproduct of poverty is food insecurity. Though not exclusive to this population, homeless NYC students are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. This blog post will explore the extent of the problem as well as ways you can help.  What Constitutes Food Insecurity? According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is when households are “uncertain of having or unable to acquire enough food to meet the needs of all their members because they [have] insufficient money or other resources for food.” In other words, those who lack reliable access to enough food for a healthy, act...