November is National Homelessness and Food Insecurity Awareness Month. Sadly, in a country with this many resources, we still have millions of Americans who are unhoused and food insecure. In a nation with an estimated 23 to 24 million millionaires — yes, you read that correctly, it is abhorrent to have people without a roof over their heads or food in their kitchens.
Ever since the president was sworn in, furloughs, layoffs, and flat-out firings have been a staple of his administration. It should not come as a surprise that Black women have been disproportionately affected by the draconian policies out of Washington, D.C.: To date, more than 300,000 Black women have lost employment since Trump 2.0 commenced. Since so many Black women serve as the economic foundation of their families and communities, this sweeping unemployment has rippling effects for far more than just the individuals.
Thanksgiving is around the corner and prices at the grocery store seem to be higher than ever. There are countless stories of people eating one meal per day to try to save money and make sure the rest of their family members can eat. Roughly two-thirds of all Americans live paycheck to paycheck, which means a sudden job loss or quick change in economic status can render someone unable to pay their rent; afford groceries; or pay for transportation, medicine, or incidentals.
A recent report just exposed that one in seven New York City public school children — roughly 154,000 kids — experienced homelessness during the school year. So many children stay in temporary housing or shelters, which makes the learning process even more difficult for young people who are expected to concentrate during the day while having uncertainty about where they will stay in the evening.
What can we do? As the winter months approach, we must remember that people with transient housing are often unable to bring their belongings with them and consistently lose clothing items and other possessions with each move. Some among us are stepping up to help. Countless religious institutions have clothing drives and food pantries where people who have the capacity to donate can do so. I looked at several City Council members’ webpages and saw links for where people can donate food and clothes. We can also support Troop 6000, the Girl Scout Troop dedicated solely to girls who are in temporary housing in the NYC shelter system.
For me, I like to clean out my closets a few times per year — same for my kitchen cabinets — to make donations. There are so many people in need right now, it is our duty to our larger communities to make sure that we use whatever resources we have in this moment. Before the month ends, do a little research and donate what you can.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.