I have had the privilege of working with Ms. Rose Clervil from the National Center on Family Homelessness. Ms.Clervil came to Sandra's Lodge Family shelter located in Waltham, MA. She conducted many workshops on trauma, mentoring, health issues etc. Ms. Clervil also helps with all aspects of homeless families in our scattered site program. The research The National Center On Family Homelessness has done on children's truama throughout the homeless population in the United States is outstanding. This organization is one of the best non-profit agencies we have had the privalge to work with.
I have begun working with the National Center on Family Homelessness around the issue of refugee families at risk of homelessness. I have been thoroughly impressed by the commitment and competence of this organization's staff. They combine thorough research with professional advocacy at a very high level. The staff have demonstrated a willingness and ability to work in partnership with grassroots community-based organizations in a respectful manner. The organizational leadership clearly sets the tone, providing vision and a clear sense of direction.
I collaborated with NCFH on their March launch of their America's Youngest Outcasts. The document and their leadership got more than 1,000 news articles reported on the nation's homeless chldren and youth. I now serve on one of their committees and rely upon them for excellent information.
I became involved with the National Center on Family Homelessness because my organization wanted to address the growing crisis of homelessness among families. After doing some research, I became aware of the National Center on Family Homelessness. I was extremely impressed with their ability to conduct thorough, timely, and sound research and to then translate that for the general public. In particular, the America's Youngest Outcasts report advanced the cause in states and at the national level more so than many other efforts conducted during the past few years by multiple stakeholders.
I have been closely involved with The National Center on Family Homelessness for many years. No other organization comes close to making such an essential contribution to ending child and family homelessness in America. The National Center has led the way in documenting the causes of family homelessness. In the same way that rigorous scientific research is the foundation for curing disease, knowing why families become homeless is fundamental to taking decisive action. Homeless children would be largely invisible and forgotten without The National Center's dedication to telling their stories. Thanks to The National Center's high quality reports and papers, and their engagement of the media both nationally and in local communities, most Americans are now aware that more than 1.5 million children are homeless in our country each year--one in every 50 children! It makes a difference in a homeless family's life to lend a hand--maybe provide them with shelter or food or clothing. But the people at The National Center aim to end homelessness for all children in America by striking at the heart of the problem. They have worked very hard to understand why this happens to children and families, and they have developed and tested solutions that work. For their impressive strategic vision and splendid determination, I award them top honors.
I recently became the new Executive Director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky. The Score Card Report which had recently been published and released by The National Center on Family Homelessness became a valuable resource document for me as I began to look at statewide homeless and housing issues. It provides userly friendly statistical data on our state and provided us with issues to discuss with our state legislature. The staff at the National Center also served as our Keynote Speaker at our 2009 Annual Summit. Over 240 individuals attended that session. We are continuing our work with the Center to become active advocates for improving Kentucky's rating and we hope to continue working closely with the staff.
Years ago, as part of a group of foundation leaders, I contracted with the National Center on Family Homelessness to help establish the blueprint for what became the Bay Area Foundation Advisory Group to End Homelessness. Our objective was to increase philanthropic investments in meaningful solutions to prevent and end homelessness. NCFH's guidance was instrumental in laying the foundation for our efforts to inform philanthropic leaders of best practices and how to invest in programs, policy work, and housing that make a real difference. Today, I serve on the board of NCFH and can tell you that I am if anything even more impressed with NCFH's impact. The strength and knowledge of its staff and its research informed work are needed now more than ever to ensure that every child has a home. I am proud to be part of NCFH and of the vital work it is doing with the Campaign to End Child Homelessness and its many other endeavors to build a better future for those without homes. Our country needs NCFH, the only national organization focused on the needs of homeless and at-risk families, to guide and advise policy and program development, share best practices, and improve service and housing delivery, if we are to succeed in ending homelessness. ~ Carol Lamont
I have worked with the National Center on Family Homelessness for 7 years as a board member and helping them communicate their programs. This is one of the very few organizations that is dealing with the root causes of FAMILY homelessness and designing programs to help break the cycle and get families back on their feet. They provide case workers with the tools and research to effectively help homeless moms and kids. They have also presented a national Campaign to End Child Homelessness that has pushed this issue to the forefront for national and state policy makers.
Recently, as a child advocate, I attended a workshop led by Christina Jordan of The National Center on Family Homelessness. I was not only impressed by the openness of the forum and the depth of the information presented, but I was also heartened to know that The National Center on Family Homelessness is following through on its mission. I truly believe that Florida voice is being heard in the national discussions and know that the other states will have the same experience. This is a national discussion that can only succeed when local communities, counties, and states bring together the people and organizations needed to bring about an end to child and family homelessness. I am the most hopeful I've been in 29 years of working in this field. Kudos to the National enter on Family Homelessness for being a conduit for the exchange of ideas and solutions, a catalyst for change and a champion for a cause that absolutely must be addressed in Amerian society.
As a member of the general public, I have been aware of AND very impressed by the outstanding research efforts and publications by the National Center on Family Homelessness. I am also aware of the national prominence of Dr. Ellen Bassuk, President of the Center, and the important role she has had in the field in general and in building this organization. I believe that the Center is making a significant impact on public consciousness of the problems of homelessness and on public policy about this national problem.
