YOU
YOU DO
YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE O+@NE? WILLIAM JOY SHOWS US+@ IN THIS
WFAA ORIGINAL.
WFAA ORIGINAL. ♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> LIFE
♪ >> LIFE WHEN WE ARE YOUNG IS ALL
ABOUT SIMPLE ROUTINE.
>> WAKE UP EARLY AND THEN WE GOT
TO BE ON TIME FOR TH+@E BUS.
♪
♪
♪ >>
♪ >> THAT'S THE MORNING FOR FIRST
GRADER OLIVIA BLACKWELL AND HER
SECOND-GRADER AND KINDERGARTEN
BROTHERS.
BROTHERS.
BROTHERS. AND THE HOME THEY ARE PICKED UP
AND DROPPED OFF AT EVERYDAY IS
THE MORRIS FOUNDATION SHELTER IN
FORT WORTH.
FORT WORTH. >> I AM NOT+@ SURE HOW MUCH THEY
A+@RE PROCESSING T+@HAT >> SARAS
JOB AS A CHILD ADVOCATE IS TO
HELP FAMILIES TRANSITION TO NEW
LIVES.
LIVES.
LIVES. IN
LIVES. IN FORT WORTH ISD ALONE, THERE
WERE MORE THAN 2400 STUDENTS --
2400 HOMELESS STUDENTS LAST
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. JOE
YEAR. JOE CARTER RUNS THE DISTRICT'S
PROGRAM TO HELP THE STUDENTS WHO
LIVE IN A COMBINATION OF HOTELS,
MOTELS, SHELTERS, OR TEMPORARILY
WITH OTHER FAMILIES.
>> +@IT IS A POPULATION THAT IS
OFTEN FORGOTTEN, EXCEPT AT
CHRISTMAS OR HOLIDAYS, HONESTLY.
>> WHEN WE CAME, WE ARE NOT THE
SAME PERSON THAT WE ARE RIGHT
NOW.
NOW.
NOW. >>
NOW. >> MARIA AND HER FIVE CHILDREN
FIRST ARRIVED AT THE SHELTER IN
SEPTEMBR
SEPTEMBR
SEPTEMBR WHILE THIS SCHOOL YEAR HAS BEEN
A STRUGGLE FOR EVERYONE, IT'S
ESPECIALLY HARD ON CHILDREN
WITHOUT A HOME.
>> IT IS TOUGH.
>> HER OLDEST IN 10TH GRADE.
>> I GET ANXIETY ABOUT THINKING
HOW MUCH I HAD BEFORE.
NOW, I DON'T HAVE NOTHING AT
THIS POINT.
THIS POINT. >> AT THE SHELTER, THEY ARE ABLE
TO LEARN VIRTUALLY.
MANY OF TEXAS' MOST VULNERABLE
STUDENTS ARE MISSING.
THIS YEAR, DISTRICTS REPORTED
JUST UNDER 50,000 HOMELESS
STUDENTS, DOWN+@ FROM NEARLY
80,000 LAST YEAR.
IN FORT WORTH, ENROLLMENT FELL
FROM 2400 TO 1300.
>+@> WE HAVE LOST CONTACT WITH
SOME OF OUR KIDS.
WE KNOW THEY ARE OUT THERE.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THEY
ARE.
ARE.
ARE. >>
ARE. >> A
ARE. >> A N+@ATIONAL SURVEY SHOWED ME
THAN 420,000 HOMELESS STUDENTS
HAVE NOT BEEN FOUND TI IT.
+@
+@ >>
+@ >> THE
+@ >> THE FAMILIES -- THIS YEAR.
IT IS A PROBLEM COVID DID NOT
CREATE BUT HAS MADE WORSE.
>> THE FAMILY IS SO FOCUSED ON
THEIR CRISIS SITUATION THAT THE
KIDS GET LOST IN THAT SHUFFLE.
AND IT'S NOT EVEN INTENTIONAL,
BUT IT JUST HAPPENS.
>> STUDENTS NOT IN SHELTERS
STRUGGLE WITH ACCESS TO WI-FI
AND DEVICES AND THE TUTORS THAT
USED TO FILL THE MORRIS
FOUNDATION HAVE TO DISTANCE AND
+@
+@ CANNOT
+@ CANNOT HELP.
CANNOT HELP. >> THEY HAVE LOST SOMETHING.
THEY HAVE.
THEY HAVE. AND IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEM
FOR A WHILE.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PLAY
CATCH-UP FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
YEARS, AND THAT IS CONCERNING TO
ME.
ME.
ME. >>
ME. >> CARTER BECAUSE HOTEL MANAGERS
TRYING TO FIND CHILDREN BECAUSE
THE SCHOOL PROVIDES MUCH MORE
THAN EDUCATION.
THAN EDUCATION. >> I WANT THEM TO HAVE A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITIES, THE BEST THAT I
+@DIDN'T HAVE IN MY LIFE.
>> FOR KIDS, IT MAY BE AS SIMPLE
AS A ROUTINE.
BUT HOMELESS CHILDREN ARE
MISSING MORE THAN JUST CLAS+@SE.
>> THE TEACHERS ARE SUPPLYING
SOME OF THESE CHILDREN THAT ARE
NOT COMING INTO THE SHELTER WITH
FOOD, WITH CLOTHING, SHOES, AND
SOCKS.
SOCKS.
SOCKS. >>
SOCKS. >> SCHOOLS OFTEN SERVE AS
SHELTERS AND SANCTUARIES W+@HERE
>> SCHOOLS OFTEN SERVE AS SHELTERS AND SANCTUARIES W+@HER@
TRANSITIONS TO NEW LIVES BEGIN.
>> ONCE W+@E GET OUT OF HERE, WE
ARE NOT GOING TO FORGET WHAT
WE'VE BEEN THROUGH.
SOMETIMES WHENEVER WE EARN A LOT
, WE ARE GOING TO GIVE BACK TO
THE PEOPLE.
THE PEOPLE. >> IN FORT WORTH, I AM WILLIAM
JOY.
JOY.
JOY. >>
JOY. >> THANK YOU, WILLIAM, FOR
SHINING A LIGHT ON THESE PEOPLE.
YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, HOW CAN
I HELP?
I HELP?
I HELP? SCHOOL DISTRICTS STRUGGLE TO
PROVIDE SUPPLIES NOT COVERED BY