Lorenzo Hall CBS 6 Anchor /Reporter

11:32 p.m. EDT, May 3, 2011
RICHMOND, Va—
Each night, children are wondering if they'll have a place to sleep. Some are thankful to sleep at a motel, shelter or in a car. Others are left with no other choice but the streets.

One Richmond teen knows this best. Tariq Muhammad says he and his family have been homeless for six months. He recalls going days without food, sleeping at the Greyhound Bus Station in Richmond and even sleeping outdoors at a bus stop. Tariq says, "It was freezing. It was December. It was ridiculous. Trying to stay warm constantly, going back and forth in restaurants to use the bathroom and having to eat cold food outside because we couldn't heat it up."

Tariq and his family share a room at the HomeAgain Shelter in Richmond. Each family is given three months to secure another home or employment. If not, it's back to the streets. However, Jolinda Underwood with HomeAgain says resources are provided to make sure that doesn't happen like, "parenting, relapse prevention for those who have suffered from substance abuse and are in recovery, budgeting and a housing liaison to assist with securing a permanent residence.

Child Psychologist, Dr. Shedrick McCall says our future is being defined by an alarming number of children living in poverty. Dr. McCall says, "the levels of depression, levels of anxiety, the levels of ADHD, the levels of emotionally disturbed learning disabilities are going to increase because they are not getting the prenatal care and they're not getting the support needed to manifest into the individuals they need to be."

Last year, more than 3,000 children were identified by school districts as homeless. That doesn't mean you'll see these children on the streets. Some are staying with relatives, motels, shelters or sleeping in cars.

If you would like to help organizations assisting the homeless, visit the links provided.





www.homewardrva.org